Moving on
by toxic-dreamer-2
Summary: If you're a fan of BBRae and you haven't read this, get started! It's got Romance, humor, and some drama too.
1. Chapter 1

**hey everyone...this is going to be the start of a series of Bb/Rae one shots...of course it really depends on what my readers say...whether or not they want me to continue with it...anyway...ENJOY**

**oh and this is set right after 'things change'**

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Beastboy sighed as he turned over in his bed to stare up at the ceiling, grateful that he had gotten rid of his bunk bed. His body felt heavy and his muscles ached; probably from lack of sleep and exercise.

It had been almost two weeks since Terra's return, two weeks since she had claimed not to remember her life as a titan, and two weeks since Beastboy had locked himself in his room, only coming out to eat and go on missions.

A part of him wanted nothing more at the moment than to sleep, but closing his eyes only brought forth the image of Terra disappearing slowly amongst a sea of students, and he was forced to relive the moment again and again. Beastboy sighed, feeling the sting of tears in his tired, burning eyes.

What had he done wrong?

He had offered her everything he could, put his heart on the line for her yet again, and still....she turned her back on him. Was it...just not enough? Would it never be enough?

_'Little green one. You always try so hard...and always fail so completely.'_

Those words had meant nothing to him before- Just stupid villian banter meant to chip away at his spirit; words that he had easily dismissed at the time, and yet they never seemed more true than they did now.

The Terra he knew might not have been gone, but she was lost to him all the same. Unattainable.

She didn't remember....or didn't _want_ to remember him.

He felt his heart sink further at the thought of being forgotten, like he never truly meant anything to her at all, like he was just some...animal; a loss mourned for no more than a week before discarded completely.

Beastboy closed his eyes, wanting to shut those thoughts out, clenching his eyes so tight that even the images couldn't haunt him. No, that couldn't be true, he had to have meant more to her than that, she had to have felt something toward him.

_'Perhaps she wanted to keep you...as a pet'_

A light knock startled him from his thinking, and with a slight gasp his eyes flew open and his hands released their tight grip on the sheets beneath him.

He knew it was probably Robin, it seemed like he could almost time when and who would arrive. Starfire usually came up to tell him when food was done and to wish him well, and Cyborg usually knocked around five asking how he was or if he wanted to play video games; or something else like that.

They had just had lunch and it was still an hour and a half before Cyborg would arrive, so he was certain that it was Robin; and he already knew what he would say. It was the same everyday; Robin would first try and act concerned by asking how he was-yeah right, like he really cared-...then Robin would make subtle comments about his behavior before giving a brief lecture about Beastboy's duties as a hero.

Beastboy frowned, it wasn't like he had stopped helping on missions, in fact there hadn't even been that many. He was doing his job to the best of his abilities, despite not being in the best of moods, and he felt that he deserved to be able to choose what he did in his free time. Pushing down what little resentment had surface, he closed his eyes as he heard the knock again. What was Robin waiting for? Did he really expect Beastboy to answer him?

"Beastboy."

He opened his eyes, surprised. That voice definitely did not belong to Robin. No that was..

"Beastboy. It's me. Raven."

_'Raven?' _

He could hardly recall an encounter with her over the past two weeks aside from the occasional glances he received during missions. She had been the only one of the titans that seemed to respect his need for solitude, and the only one who had yet to confront him on his recent behavior. Part of him knew that it was because Raven understood more than anyone the desire to be alone, to have privacy, but a darker part of himself wondered if she wasn't just happy to have him out of her way.

"I know you're in there Beastboy," Raven replied, a slightly annoyed tone to her voice.

Beastboy groaned some as he pulled a pillow over his head. Despite his lack of contact with Raven over the past two weeks, he was not eager for a confrontation with her now. He wanted to be left alone.

"You can either get up and open the door, or I can just phase through," Raven informed him. "Your choice."

Was she serious? Beastboy paused, listening for her to say anything else. It was quiet and he inwardly sighed, she had probably decided it wasn't worth the trouble and left. That was fine with Beastboy, or at least that's what he told himself; he didn't need anyone.

Suddenly though he felt the covers beneath him jerk away, and he was sent tumbling off the bed and onto the floor. He lay on his back for a moment, stunned, blinking up at the cieling. Raven stepped up beside him, arms crossed, looking down at him expectantly.

He glared up at her when his senses returned, but the look did not phase her, although he didn't expect it to. He quickly pulled himself up, turning to face her, his hands balled into fists at his sides.

"What's your problem?!" Beastboy yelled, ignoring the raspy quality of his voice, no doubt the result of crying and misuse.

"My problem?" Raven asked raising an eyebrow, but not her voice. "I'm not the one who's been hiding out in my room for the last two weeks."

Beastboy glared. What right did Raven have to say that?

"No...you're the one who's been hiding in your room for that last three years," Beastboy reported hotly.

The only indication that his words had affected her was the slight narrowing of her eyes, her voice remained stoic.

"This isn't about me Beastboy," she replied. "But if you're trying to turn it that way, then let me just say that there hasn't been one day, aside from the last two weeks, in which you haven't come to my room and interrupted my meditation or reading to try and persuade me to come out."

Raven realized she wasn't entirely truthful when she said that. She recalled having little to no interaction with Beastboy during the time when Terra was a titan- not that it had bothered her, she would never admit to that.

"So then it's payback," Beastboy countered. "Revenge for all those times I bothered you."

"This isn't about revenge," Raven replied, her patience thinning. "This is about you acting like a complete idiot."

"Oh, so now I'm an idiot," Beastboy fumed.

"I didn't say you _were_ an idiot," Raven replied. "I said you were _acting_ like an idiot."

Beastboy rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest and taking a seat on the side of his bed, scowling. He turned his head away from her as he did this, although it did nothing to lessen his frustration, he hoped it got his point across- Go Away.

This message was clearly received as he heard Raven sigh, but not in frustration or defeat as he had expected. Beastboy could almost feel the tension in the air lessen as she breathed out, could almost her Ravens unspoken mantra.

"I didn't come here to argue with you Beastboy." she replied, calm and in control.

Beastboy remained silent, pretending he hadn't heard what she said, refusing to even move.

"Beastboy-"

"I'm not talking to you."

Raven glared at Beastboy's immature remark. Why did he have to make this so hard?

"Fine, don't talk," she said, abruptly taking a seat beside him on the bed. "Just listen."

Beastboy tensed when he felt her presence next him, unable to keep himself from turning toward her, the anger on his face replaced with confusion and surprise. Ravens closeness made him feel apprehensive, yet strangely calm at the same time. She took a deep breath as if preparing herself, then met Beastboy's uncertain gaze.

"I realize you may not have noticed," She began, "but during the last two weeks, Starfire hasn't made a single tameranian meal, Cyborg's been neglecting his video games, and Robin's been training excessively."

Beastboy blinked, confused at this bit of information.

"And despite it being quieter than it ever has been," She continued, hesitating a moment before forcing the next words out. "I haven't been able to meditate or even finish one of my books."

Beastboy frowned, hands now resting on his lap as he turned his gaze to the floor in slight disbelief and confusion. Had he really been so wrapped up in himself that he hadn't noticed these things? It hardly seemed possible that his distant behavior could effect the rest of the titans like this. It had always just been about him, about how he felt, not the rest of the team- it didn't seem like it mattered.

He inwardly flinched at how selfish it all sounded now.

"We've all been worried about you."

This time Beastboy did flinch, feeling significantly smaller for some reason.

"I'm not trying to worry you guys," Beastboy admitted quietly. "I guess I just...didn't think you'd care."

Beastboy's eyes were still glued to the floor, so he didn't see the look of sadness that flickered across Raven's face.

"We're your friends Beastboy," she replied, knowing it was something he needed to hear. "Of course we care."

Those words held more power in them than she may have realized, and Beastboy felt suddenly very foolish. Of course they cared about him. How had he not seen it before? That's why they'd showed up everyday. That's why the food Starfire left for him was always vegetarian take-out rather than homemade. That's why Robin kept pressing him to leave his room. Why Cyborg never asked anyone else to play video games with him. And it was the reason why Raven was talking to him now, the reason she hadn't left even though he had been a total jerk.

_'Man, I really am an idiot'_

"Raven I, I'm sorry. I was a jerk." Beastboy apologized, looking up at her. "You were trying to help and I yelled at you and-"

"Don't worry about it." she replied, kindly putting a halt to any further rambling. "I'd be upset too if someone knocked me out of bed."

A small smile crept across Beastboy's face as he stared down at his now entwined hands.

"Yeah, not the most friendly approach" he said, chuckling weakly. "But it did get my attention."

Raven studied Beastboy for a moment and frowned. His uniform and hair were both a mess, his face slightly pale and his eyes were bloodshot. What stood out the most to Raven however, was the sad -if not somewhat strained- smile on his face.

"Beastboy..." Raven asked, hesitating just a moment before placing a reassuring hand on his arm. "Are you going to be okay?"

Beastboy eyes traveled from his own hands to Ravens, which rested gently on his forearm, and then to her face. She gazed at him with violet eyes filled with understanding and support, and he felt somewhat unworthy of her friendship.

"I...I will be." he answered, being as truthful as he could. "But right now...I...I just can't..."

"I understand..." She replied, pulling her hand away. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Raven stood up, knowing Beastboy still needed time to sort things out.

"But Beastboy.."

Beastboy looked up at Raven, who had taken a few steps toward the door before looking back him.

"Yeah?"

"If you ever do need someone to talk to..." she told him. "My rooms just down the hall, okay?"

The offer was sincere and again he felt unworthy of her concern, unsure if he should even believe it were true.

"You may feel like you're alone, Beastboy," she said softly, "But you're not."

Beastboy froze, remembering that he had told Raven something very similar in the past. The fact the she even remembered those words let Beastboy know how important they had been to her then and maybe even still were, and a sense of comfort and gratitude washed over him.

"Um...thanks," he replied his vision beginning to blur with tears- not sad but grateful. "Thanks a lot."

"You're welcome." she replied as she turned to leave, sliding the door closed behind her.

Beastboy let himself fall back onto his bed as he took in a deep breath...feeling drained, but somehow better than he had in a long time.

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Raven made her way into the main room and put on some tea, she noticed Cyborg flipping through channels on the TV and Starfire who was laying down a bowl of water for Silkie.

At that time Robin entered the room and sat down in front of the counter, judging from the sweat that still lingered on his forehead he had just been working out. Starfire greeted him with a smile and offered to make him something to drink, Robin smiled in return telling her that he'd appreciate it.

It didn't take long however for Robin to turn to Raven who had just taken the seat next to him.

"Hey Raven," He greeted, studying her for a moment. "I thought I heard you go up stairs a little while ago."

Hm, so that's what it was. He knew she had went to talk to Beastboy...

Raven nodded as she sipped her tea, not commenting any further.

"Did you perhaps talk with friend Beastboy?" Starfire asked, beating Robin to the punch.

Cyborg turned around from his spot on the couch, suddenly interested.

"He probably didn't answer," he concluded with a frown. "I ain't been able to get much outta him lately."

"Actually...," Raven replied. "We did talk."

"You did?" Robin asked his eyes widening some. "You mean Beastboy actually talked to you?"

"Some...yes."

"Well?" Cyborg asked eagerly. "What did he say?"

"Is friend Beastboy okay?" Starfire asked.

"Do you know if he's coming out?"

Raven opened her mouth to talk when the door to the main room swooshed open. Everyone froze for a moment when they turned to see the very person they had been discussing walk through the doors.

Beastboy.

Raven could tell he had changed his uniform, and his hair had been brushed forward to look like it normally did. His eyes were still a little bloodshot and he still looked tired, but he was there nonetheless.

Finally he took a few steps forward, looking up at them, and the silence was broken.

"Glorious!" Starfire exclaimed.

She flew toward him and wrapped her arms tightly around his form, squeezing him against her and lifting him off the ground.

"I am most pleased to see that you have joined us friend." She told him as she spun around.

"Uh, Starfire...choking ...not breathing," he gasped.

"Oh, I apologize," she replied quickly releasing him from her grip. "I am just so delighted to see you."

Beastboy stumbled back, shaking his head, and hoping the room would stop spinning; Starfire's hugs were almost deadly at times.

"How ya doin' man?" Cyborg asked as he stood up from his spot on the couch.

Beastboy looked over at his friend, taking notice of his concerned tone, before nodding in his direction and saying. "Better."

"Anything we can get for you?" Robin asked, almost afraid that Beastboy was going to retreat back into his room if he wasn't careful.

"Um...I was actually thinking of getting something to eat," he replied shrugging some as he looked down. "I didn't really eat much at lunch and.."

"Don't say another word." Cyborg interrupted, suddenly showing up from behind the kitchens counter in a chefs hat and apron.

"Chef Cyborg is on the job," he said with a huge grin. "What'll it be?"

"Uh...it doesn't really matter," Beastboy replied, he didn't want to get into an argument with Cyborg over Meat.

"Tofu it is then," Cyborg announced.

"Really?" Beastboy asked, surprised.

Cyborg simply nodded as he turned towards the fridge.

"Hey Beastboy," Robin said with a cautious smile. "Maybe after you eat we can play some video games?"

Beastboy frowned, noticing Robin's hesitation.

"That is if you want to," Robin quickly added.

Beastboy looked at the ground for a moment in thought and then looked back up at Robin.

"Yeah...that sounds good," he said with a half grin. "I'm sorta out of practice."

"This is most wonderful," Starfire cheerfully exclaimed, grabbing Beastboy's arm and pulling him closer to the others. "We must arrange for the viewing of a movie tonight, and I shall prepare the beverages and food of junk."

"I think you mean junk food Star." Robin said with a smile.

"Maybe we should hold off on the party," Raven suggested; she didn't want put so much on Beastboy.

"No...it's okay," Beastboy replied. "A movie sounds nice."

Raven met Beastboy's gaze and he smiled-a genuine smile- as if to reassure her that it was okay, and she found herself smiling gently back.

It was going to take some time, but at least things were starting to get back to normal, and hopefully it wouldn't be too long before Beastboy started acting like himself again.

It had been two weeks since Terra's return, two weeks since Raven had heard Beastboy tell a joke, and two weeks since she had seen him smile, but only now did she realize just how much she had missed him.

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**everyone keep in mind that I plan on making more one-shots if you think this is good. **

**My main plan is to slowly ease Raven and Beastboy into friendship and then ...dun dun dun...love . So yes...I admit this doesn't have a lot of fluff in it...but eventually...the fluff will come...so don't hesitate to leave me a review**


	2. Messy Room

_**Hey thanx to everyone who reviewed...and any and all advice that was given. This chapter or one-shot is not as serious as the first. I thought it would be a good idea to let you see the smaller but still important moments between the two.ENJOY**_

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Beastboy scratched his head as he looked around his room. The floor itself wasn't even visible through the piles of garbage; Pizza boxes, Clothes, Cd's...everything laid cluttered about the room. 

"Where is it?" Beastboy wondered out loud, as if the object in question would suddenly reveal itself.

Sighing, he got down on his hands and knees and started moving things around.

"No...no...no," He yelled picking up random objects and tossing them behind him -through his open door and out into the hall. "Where is it?"

"Lose something?" asked a calm voice from behind him.

Beastboy let out a small surprised squeak before slowly turning around to face the owner of the voice. Raven, who was standing outside his door, crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh...hey Raven," Beastboy said with a nervous smile, jumping up from his spot on the floor. "So...heh...what's up?"

"Combat practice." Raven simply replied.

"Wow...is it three o'clock already?" Beastboy asked in mock surprise, looking at the nonexistent watch on his wrist.

"Actually...it was three o'clock 20 minutes ago," Raven answered. "But, then again, maybe your watch is broken."

Beastboy gave a false laugh at the comment, but Raven's dry expression caused him to stop and clear his throat.

"I'm guessing Robin sent you, huh?" He asked, his smile vanishing as Raven nodded.

"Yeah well...I was just ...um.." His sentence trailed off as he looked over his room.

"What did you lose this time?" Raven asked dully.

"I didn't lose it!" Beastboy exclaimed waving his arms about as he turned to her.

He stopped and smiled sheepishly.

"I just...don't know where it is."

Raven rolled her eyes.

"But I know it's in here somewhere." He stated with confidence.

"A lot of good that does you," Raven said as she glanced inside. "I doubt you can find anything in this mess."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Beastboy asked, looking around the room with a confused expression.

"Your room's a complete and total disaster." She replied evenly.

"It's not that bad," Beastboy said still glancing around, a small smile on his face. "It has...character."

Raven sighed, wondering why she had to be the one to come get him. Honestly, this was taking longer than it should have, and Robin was already a little upset about him being late.

"Are you coming to practice or not?" Raven asked, making it clear that she was running out of patience.

Beastboy sighed rubbing the back of his neck some.

"How mad do you think Robin will be if I don't show up?" He asked with a small smile.

"Mad." Raven replied.

"And...how mad do you think he'll be when I tell him I lost my communicator?" Beastboy asked.

"You lost your communicator."

"Sorta," Beastboy replied with a smile and a shrug.

Raven sighed...closing her eyes for a moment and shaking her head.

"Wait...I know," Beastboy said smiling brightly. "Why don't you come in here and help me look."

"I really don't think so," Raven replied in her usual dull tone. "The smell alone is likely to kill me."

Beastboy gave her a confused stare as he sniffed the air.

"I don't smell anything."

"I'm sure you don't." Raven answered looking away.

"Aw...come on Raven, Please?" he asked cupping his hands. "If I have to ask Cyborg to make me another one he'll kill me."

"And that would be my problem...how?" Raven asked.

Beastboy ignored the comment and puffed out his lower lip, looking up at Raven with wide pleading eyes.

She sighed.

"Here," Raven said taking out her communicator.

"You're giving me yours?" Beastboy asked confused.

Raven gave him a look of disbelief and annoyance before shaking her head and pressing down on one of the communicator's buttons.

_Beep Beep Beep Beep_

Beastboy's ears perked up at the sound of his communicator going off, and Raven watched as he looked around the room before jumping over to a pile of clothes. After only a second of watching the clothes fly by the door as Beastboy tossed them aside, he appeared, smiling triumphantly with the communicator in hand.

"Found it." He announced, holding it up for her to see.

"You're truly amazing," Raven replied sarcastically. "Are we going now or not?"

"Oh right," Beastboy nodded coming out of his room.

_'Finally'_ Raven thought as she turned to walk away, only to stop when Beastboy didn't follow. She looked back at him as he stood there staring into his room.

"Well?" She asked.

"Actually... ," He replied thoughtfully, still looking back into his room,."Tell Robin I couldn't make it."

"Excuse me?" Raven asked a little surprised.

Beastboy turned to face her with an uneasy smile.

"Yeah well...there's something really important that I have do," he replied shrugging. "And if I don't do it now...I might never."

"Right," Raven said slowly, she was almost tempted to ask, but decided against it. "I'll be sure to let him know."

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Two hours later

"Man...now that was a work out." Cyborg exclaimed as they made their way into the main room.

"I think we made up for the lost time," Robin admitted, thinking briefly about the delay Beastboy had caused.

"I believe I have worked up my appetite as well." Starfire added.

"I'm way ahead of ya, Star," Cyborg replied already placing a rather large ham into the oven. "There's nothing like a heaping helping of meat after a hard work out."

"I think Beastboy would disagree," Raven said, though slightly surprised at herself for mentioning the changeling.

"Hey...it's not like he did anything." Cyborg replied sounding a little annoyed.

"He's definitely not getting off the hook that easy." Robin said in an equally annoyed tone.

After all, Beastboy had delayed training practice for almost half an hour, only for Raven to arrive and tell them that Beastboy had 'something important he had to do'. What could possibly be more important than training?

"I am certain friend Beastboy would not perform the ditching without good reason," Starfire stated, always one to stand up for her friends.

"At least...he thinks it's a good reason." Raven added.

"Still, I'm going to have to go talk to him about it." Robin confirmed.

Robin had always been more strict when in came to training and preparation, and Beastboy could be so irresponsible- it was no wonder the two of them tended to butt heads from time to time.

"You guys talking about me?"

Everyone turned around to face Beastboy, who looked almost just as tired as the rest of the team. He smiled triumphantly at everyone as he dusted some dirt off his costume.

"Only about how you ditched practice." Cyborg said.

"Care to explain why?" Robin asked trying to sound casual, though the authority in his voice made it impossible.

"I'll do better than that," Beastboy replied, not at all effected by Robin's tone. "I'll show you."

With that said, he turned and headed towards the door, leaving the others to exchange confused glances before following him out.

Finally they made it to Beastboy's door and he turned to face them.

"Okay, Beastboy, what's this all about?" Robin asked, now more curious than upset.

"Behold..." Beastboy announced opening his door. "TA DA!"

Hesitantly the others looked inside and their mouths immediately dropped open.There was nothing on the floor...no clutter on his dresser...the bed was made and everything had been wiped off.

Robin stuttered. "It's ...it's..."

"Clean!" Cyborg finished.

"Dude, check it out," Beastboy said pointing to his floor. "I had a carpet in here this whole time."

"This is most impressive," Starfire said. "I am no longer frightened by the mere sight of it."

"I have to admit," Robin replied. "You did a good job."

"I still can't believe it," Cyborg said. "You actually cleaned your room...YOU CLEANED!"

"Hey...it's not that big of a deal," Beastboy said smiling as he turned to face it. "But I did do a good job, didn't I."

Robin studied Beastboy for a moment in curiosity. It was definitely unlike him to do something like this...but it was long over due.

"Okay Beastboy...," He began. "I guess I can let you off this one time. Just try not to miss anymore practices."

Beastboy grinned and nodded.

"Considering how bad this place looked before, you must have worked up quite a sweat," Cyborg replied. "I'd take training over cleaning your room any day."  
Suddenly Cyborg's arm began to beep

"AAHHH...My ham!" He cried darting off down the hall.

Robin, not wanting to be left behind to ponder Beastboy's sudden tidiness, took off after him.

"Cyborg wait up."

Starfire giggled at the two boys before her belly rumbled.

"I believe the food is also calling for me..." she blushed before floating off after the others.

Beastboy smiled as he turned to Raven, who had let to make a single comment on the room.

"Well...what do you think?" Beastboy asked eagerly.

"It's...definitely clean." Raven replied plainly.

"Come on, you haven't even looked around yet." He said, hopping on in.

"That's okay." Raven declined looking away slightly.

"Pleease Rae," Beastboy pleaded.

"I sprayed air freshener and everything," he told her, holding up the empty bottle for her to see. "Lemon Lime."

Raven sighed, knowing that he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.

"Fine...but don't call me Rae."

Beastboy grinned and stepped aside to let Raven entered his room.

She glanced around and had to admit that Beastboy had done a really good job, despite this, however, the room felt strangely...empty. It didn't look like Beastboy even lived there anymore, and a strange feeling settled over her for a moment or so. She couldn't seem to understand what the feeling was, like someone had taken something very familiar to her and altered it completely; and not just the room.

Raven wondered if she was overlooking something- perhaps a hidden motive behind her friend's action. After all, It hadn't been too long ago that Beastboy had confined himself to his room over Terra's so-called return, shortly after returning from fighting the brotherhood of evil. Was this just a sign that Beastboy was no longer comfortable being in the tower; after all, Beastboy hated cleaning and he had never seemed to have a problem with his room before.

Raven looked over at Beastboy, who was admiring his room with a proud smile, and tried to force those worries away. It was just a simple act, it didn't mean that Beastboy was any different, it didn't mean that he was going to leave them.

_'Probably just wanted to skip practice'_ her mind rationalized.

Beastboy turned to Raven, who had directed her gaze toward him with intent curiosity.

"Not bad, huh?" He asked.

Raven nodded thoughtfully, wondering why he was so interested in her opinion.

"I guess you don't have to be afraid to come in here anymore then," Beastboy said causing Raven to blink in surprise.

There it was, the hidden motive, the reason why he had done what he did- but it was so far from anything she had been expecting. Beastboy had cleaned his room because she had told him it was messy...not because he wanted to, or even because he liked it that way,...no...he had cleaned his room **_for_** her.

"Beastboy..."

"Yeah?" Beastboy said, grinning in her direction.

"Thanks."

"What for?" Beastboy asked looking genuinely confused.

Raven paused, as if not sure what to say, a very big part of her simply appreciating that he valued her opinion.

"For..." Raven paused again. "For inviting me in."

Beastboy gave her a strange look for a moment, as if he had been expecting her to say something else, but quickly shook it off.

"No problem," He said smiling again. "So does that mean you like it?"

"It's ... almost perfect." Raven told him.  
"Almost?" Beastboy asked confused once more as he looked around his room. _'Dude...no way...what's she talking about...I did everything'_

His ears drooped slightly and he looked back at Raven as she raised up her hand, which was engulfed in her black magic, and levitated the stack of Cd's Beastboy had placed on his dresser. Raven then scattered them around the room before knocking over some clothes, opening up the closet door (Where he had stashed most of his junk) and turning back to face Beastboy.

"Now it has ... _Character_," She said with a small hidden smile.

Beastboy blinked in surprise for a few moments before smiling too...a moment of silence went between them.

"Oh .. I almost forgot," He said picking up a box that was laying near his door and showing it's contents to Raven. She looked inside to find five titan communicators.

"Looks like I won't have to ask Cy to make me another for a while." he said smiling.

He sat them back down and suddenly paused.

"Do you... smell that?" He asked looking mildly disturbed.

"...Lemon lime?" Raven offered confused.

"Nope," Beastboy replied his eyes narrowing some. "Meat."  
Raven rolled her eyes.

"Looks like it's time to defend my vegetarian honor." He said, cracking his knuckles.

"Must you?" Raven asked dully.

"Yep," He replied, flashing a smile at Raven who followed him as he marched out the door.

She stopped for a moment as Beastboy went on, then glanced back at the not-so-messy room...and smiled.

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_**I'm not all that happy about how it turned out but I'm Hoping that at least some of the readers enjoyed it. The next one-shot is going to be more serious...and more of a Beastboy comforts Raven kinda thing. Please review!**_


	3. talking on the tower

_**HEY ...Thanks to everyone who reviewed...I managed to finish this chapter up today and I hope you like it. I probably should have waited before I posted this one but I just couldn't help myself...I needed to get this out.**_

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Beastboy stepped out onto the roof of titans tower and looked around. Sure enough there was Raven, her back turned to him and legs crossed into a sitting position as she levitated a few feet above the ground.

The sound of her chanting seemed to carry softly through the air, her cloak swayed in the gentle breeze, and the setting sun seemed to cast an almost forbidden shadow behind her.

Beastboy swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat, he had come up here for a reason and now he seemed to be second guessing himself.

He paused as he thought over the days events, or more specifically, the battle with Adonis. It seemed the villain had caused a jail break...letting lose some of the bigger and more dangerous criminals such as Cinderblock and Plasmious. The fight had seemed to be going well when Beastboy noticed that Raven was missing, having left to stop Adonis as he fled from the losing battle.

When Beastboy had managed to sniff them out, he had been shocked at what he found. Raven had been towering over the villain in her dark form, viciously ripping apart his suit.

Beastboy had seen Raven lose control over her anger before, but instead of four red eyes there were only two, and despite the glare they looked no different then they normally did. Once Beastboy realized that Raven was going too far he had called out her name to get her to stop...only then did she shrink down to her normal size looking both worried and ashamed. Beastboy didn't even have time to question her though, as the other titans quickly came to the scene. Robin had asked what had happened and Beastboy glanced at Raven only to watch her disappear in an aura of black magic.

It had been one hour since they got back and Raven had seemed to make herself scarce. The others figured that she was just tired and probably wanted some time alone, and although Beastboy agreed, he couldn't stand the thought of her feeling guilty over what had happened. He had waited though, at least as long as he could before finding her, but now he could only stand there and wonder what it is he should do.

Hesitantly he walked up behind her, and when it seemed she hadn't noticed him, he cleared his throat loudly into his hand. Her chanting stopped, but she didn't turn around to face him.

Beastboy smiled nervously as he opened his mouth to greet her, but she surprised him by being the first to speak.

"Did you tell them?" She asked calmly.

Beastboy jumped slightly then relaxed.

"That you beat Adonis," Beastboy replied just as calmly. "Yeah."

"No...not that," Raven said, her voice giving way to fear. "About...what happened...what I did."  
"Oh...," Beastboy said, knowing perfectly well what she meant. "No...I didn't."

Raven looked over at him as he walked to the spot beside her. Her face portraying her mild surprise and confusion.

"Why?"

Beastboy smiled. "I figured we could leave it on a 'need to know' basis."

Raven nodded slightly and lowered herself down onto her feet to stand beside him.

"Thanks." She said quietly.

"Um...Raven," Beastboy asked looking over at her. "I hope you don't mind but...what exactly did happen back there..ya know, with the whole rage thing."

Raven turned her head away from his gaze and Beastboy frowned, knowing he had done something wrong.

"Hey Raven... it's okay," Beastboy said, his voice low and sincere. "I mean, it's not your fault."  
"That's just it Beastboy," Raven replied quietly. "...It was"

Beastboy gave her a confused look and waited for her to explain

"Before, Trigon had control over my rage," Raven explained. "But now that he's gone, I'm the one responsible. There's no excuse for what I did...or what I would have done if you hadn't shown up."

Beastboy couldn't stand it when one of his friends were upset, and he wasn't sure why, but for some reason it was even worse when it was Raven. Maybe it was because Raven was harder on herself than any of the other titans, he wasn't quite sure...but he hated seeing her like this.

"That's not true Rae," Beastboy said with a frown. "So you lost control, so what. It's not like I've never done that before, and I'm sure you would have stopped yourself before you did anything too bad."

Raven turned her head again.

"I'm ...not so sure," she replied, her voice laced with uncertainty. "I knew exactly what was happening and I could have stopped at any time, but I think a part of me... wanted to see him suffer."

Beastboy's eyes widened in slight surprise, but nothing could take away the feeling of helplessness he was experiencing. To him, Raven was a very amazing person, someone who would risk everything for those she cared about, but he had no idea how to make her see that. There was such fear and sadness in her usually monotone voice, and though she tried to look away, even her eyes portrayed it.

_'Say something!'_ His mind screamed at him.

"You...you were angry," Beastboy reasoned, though the desperation in his voice was evident. "I mean, I know how Adonis can be and he probably went to far...whatever he did or said...it's okay to get mad and even to be so mad that you'd wanna hurt him...that's not your fault."

Raven looked over at him and was surprised at how upset he sounded. She wondered if it was because he was afraid, afraid of her, afraid of her powers.

"I'm sorry, Beastboy," Raven said sadly. "This really is all my fault. For ever thinking that anything I do could make a difference."

"What do you mean?" Beastboy asked with a concerned stare, his voice even. "Of course what you do makes a difference...you help save peoples lives everyday."  
"Yes...but it can never change who or what I am," Raven replied, glancing ahead at the horizon.

"I'll always be part demon," She said. "And maybe in some way, no matter what I do, I'll always be evil."  
Raven closed her eyes and turned her head away, sure that Beastboy would want nothing to do with her now; if he ever really did in the first place.

"No...I don't believe that," came Beastboy's firm reply and Raven could do nothing but look over at him in surprise and maybe even relief.

"First off you have never, I repeat, Never been evil Raven," Beastboy said with a determined stare. "I don't care who your father is, or what some stupid prophecy said, because none of that has anything to do with who _you_ are."

"You may get moody sometimes and even lose your temper, and I should know since I'm normally the one who causes you to, but I've never once thought that you were evil and neither has any of the other titans," He paused for a moment and his expression and voice softened. "You're one of the greatest people I know Raven, and one of the best friends I have,...you're a good person and a good hero, and there's no reason you shouldn't think so too."

Raven felt stunned, her entire being overcome with a sense of relief and overwhelming gratitude that threatened to spill tears from her eyes. She had never expected to hear someone tell her that, and yet somehow, she knew that it meant more coming from him than anyone else. A part of her didn't feel she deserved to be told such things...that she didn't deserve a friend like Beastboy...and even that what he was saying wasn't true.

"Raven?" Beastboy asked timidly, noticing the tears forming in her eyes.

"You...you really think that I'm a good person." Raven asked...or rather stated as she looked down at the ground...a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Beastboy smiled gently.

"One of the best."

"Thank you," Raven said, after a moments pause. "I guess I just got carried away. My emotions are a little stronger now that Trigon's gone."

"Yet another reason for your um...lack of control today," Beastboy stated. "You just need more time to adjust."

"Maybe you're right," Raven replied. _'When did he get so smart'_

"Of course I am," Beastboy said with a cocky grin. "Aren't I always."

Raven rolled her eyes _'so much for modesty though'_

"Must you ruin the moment?" she asked.

"Just something else I'm really good at", Beastboy said with a grin. "Right there between arguing with Cyborg over breakfast, and my failed attempts at getting you to laugh."

There it was again...that feeling stirring in the pit of her stomach, distant but still so familiar.

"It's getting kinda late," Raven noted looking back at the setting sun.

"Yeah, guess so," Beastboy replied casually. "So...what are we waiting for?"

He smiled as he quickly made his way towards the door with Raven close behind. He opened it up and looked back at her.

_'He's holding the door open for you...that's so sweet'_ a voice inside Raven's head chimed.

"Um...thanks." Raven replied cautiously stepping inside, she paused.

"Beastboy?"

"Yeah."  
"About what you said back there," She continued, still not turning to face him. "About me being a good person and a good friend."

Beastboy nodded. "I meant ever word."

Raven felt her face blush slightly.

"I just want you to know...," She paused again..."That I think the same about you."

Beastboy stood stunned for a moment, then his smile widened, revealing the fanged tooth that stuck out from his lower lip.

"Um...thanks," He replied with a slight blush.

_'Okay dude...why am I so nervous all of a sudden?'_

Beastboy pushed the feeling aside as he shut the door behind them.

* * *

_**EEEEPPPP...I can't help but like this one...and yeah I may have gotten a little lazy by not typing up the whole battle thing...but thats just me. lol. Also I bet some of you were thinking that Beastboy was gonna ask Raven out...atleast before I mentioned the battle. ...PLEASE REVIEW!**_


	4. The Gift

* * *

It was morning time in Titans tower and Cyborg was already in the middle of preparing breakfast. Raven was sipping her tea over the counter while Starfire, who was sitting on the couch, played with Silkie. Robin sat nearby, leaning his elbows on the counter and reading the newspaper. The smell of fried meat causing him to look up at Cyborg. 

"Ham and bacon." Robin stated a slight smirk coming across his face. "I'm sure Beastboy will appreciate that."

"Hey man, it's not my fault the little grass stain doesn't eat meat," Cyborg replied. "Besides, would you really rather have tofu for breakfast?"

Robin made a face, which clearly stated that he didn't, and Cyborg smiled as he went back to cooking.

"Friends, it is nearing the time for friend Beastboy's arrival, is it not?" Starfire asked as she stood up from her spot on the couch and floated behind Robin.

"It's only 9:30," Cyborg said checking the time. "Beastboy shouldn't be up for at least another hour or two."

"You are certain?" Starfire asked with slight concern.

"Try and enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts," Raven replied though she admitted that Beastboy had been less of a pest lately and her words were mostly a force of habit.

"Why so worried, Star?" Robin asked curiously.

"Are we not to be planning his party of surprise?" Starfire asked.

"It's surprise party," Robin corrected with a smile. "And I think we've got everything covered."

"Not like it's gonna be much of a surprise," Cyborg said. "He's only reminded us about his birthday a thousand times."

"Yes, I suppose. But celebrating ones day of birth is a most joyous occasion," Starfire replied. "I fear that if we are not properly prepared we may disappoint him."

Robin smiled at Starfire's concern.

"I'm sure everything will be fine Star," He reassured her. "And Beastboy will love it."

"How could he not?" Cyborg asked. "We got cake, ice cream, tofu, balloons, and lets not forget _gifts_."

At the mention of the word 'gifts' Raven paused in drinking her tea.

"Oh yes," Starfire said with an eager smile. "I am very excited about the giving of gifts. It is my favorite part."

"Well, I know he's gonna like my gift," Cyborg boasted. "The newest release of Mega Monkey Fighters V...he'll love it!"

"Do you mean him or you?" Robin asked with a small smirk.

"Both." Cyborg grinned back.

"Oh, I do hope he likes my gift as well," Starfire replied. "I had purchased it at the mall of shopping just last week with friend Raven."

Raven nodded, though she knew the trip hadn't done her any good at the time. Inwardly she sighed. It shouldn't be so hard to find Beastboy a gift; after all, he would probably like anything that she got him.

Starfire watched Raven as she stared down at her cup of tea in deep thought.

"Friend Raven," She asked in a calm and polite voice. "Might I speak with you in private for a moment."

Raven gave Starfire a confused stare but nodded as the two made their way to the next room. As the doors closed behind them, Raven turned toward her friend, inquisitively.

"Okay Starfire," she said. "What's this all about?"

"I noticed that you are troubled," Starfire replied plainly. "And I am wondering if you are concerned about your gift for friend Beastboy."

"I just haven't found anything yet," Raven replied in a low voice.

"I see," Starfire nodded. "You wish to get him something special."

Raven gave Starfire a strange look...

"I guess." She finally replied.

"Might I make a suggestion?" Starfire asked.

"Sure."

"If you wish to get him a gift that is from your heart." Starfire said, placing her hand on her chest. "Then you must know what is inside his."

Raven stared at Starfire for a moment, taking in what she had just said.

"You make it sound like I have feelings for him or something," Raven replied taking a defensive step back.

"Do you not?" Starfire asked with a confused look. "You two have seemed quite close as of lately."

"I'll admit, we've been getting along okay," Raven replied avoiding eye contact with Starfire. "But we're just...friends."

"Of course, that is what I mean," Starfire explained. "You two have become close friends."

"Oh" Raven replied feeling foolish...not only because Starfire hadn't been making that assumption, but because _she_ had.

"How ...could I do that?" Raven asked. "Know what's inside his heart?"

Starfire smiled.

"You merely have to talk with him," She explained. "And if you are lucky, he will share a piece of himself with you."

Raven looked nervously to the ground...this sounded too much like something a girlfriend and boyfriend would do.

"Starfire..." Raven asked. "What do you consider Robin?"

Starfire blushed.

"I believe that he is my closest friend," She replied. "Why do you ask?"

"It's nothing...but maybe I'll just ask Beastboy what he wants."

Raven hated the idea, knowing that if she asked now, he would think she had forgotten.

"Perhaps you could wake friend Beastboy up now and ask him," Starfire suggested. "Since it is time for the morning ritual of eating."

"Yeah...I think I will," Raven nodded before walking away. "Thanks anyway Starfire."

**-Outside Beastboy's room- **

Knock, Knock .

"Beastboy...?" Raven asked. "It's time for breakfast."

There was no reply and she sighed, knowing he was probably in a deep sleep. She opened the door that Beastboy rarely ever locked and stepped inside. She was surprised to find that his bed was empty, the sheets scattered out onto the floor. She looked around but found no sign of him. Had he already gotten up without her knowing?

Sighing, she looked around, maybe she could find something that would give her a clue as to what kind of gift Beastboy would like. The room wasn't nearly as messy as it had use to be...he had cleaned it over a month ago and somehow had managed to keep it looking somewhat decent. The scattered pieces of trash and clothing, however. didn't give her much insight.

She walked over towards Beastboy's bed and looked down at his dresser. Part of her knew that it was wrong to go through his things, even if it was for a good reason, but another part of her hated the idea of having to ask him, and admit that she hadn't gotten anything yet.

Finally, she found herself bending over to open the bottom drawer.

Inside she found stacks of comic books...she picked one up and flipped through it's pages. _'A comic book?'_ she asked herself. _'No. I can do better'_

She placed the comic back on top of the stack and opened the next drawer. She blushed as she looked down at a cluster of multicolored underwear's. Everything from poke-a-dots to little animals. 'De_finitely not underwear'_ She told herself, quickly closing the drawer.

She hesitated as she opened the top drawer, not sure of what else she would find.However, when she looked inside, she found several different things; none of which were any cause for alarm. There was an album book, which Raven looked at first. Inside were several pictures of the Doom Patrol and Beastboy, but as the album went on, it was filled with pictures of the Titans.

Raven smiled slightly when she found a picture of Beastboy and herself. It had been taken a little after the teen titans had formed. It showed Raven sitting on the couch with her legs crossed and a book in her hand, looking over her shoulder with an annoyed expression at Beastboy, who was wearing a clown nose, and whom she remembered had been telling jokes at the time. Honestly though, it had been some fault of Ravens that Beastboy was so persistent about telling the jokes in the first place.

_"Heh...you're kinda funny,' Raven said with a small smile._

_'Dude, you think I'm funny,' Beastboy asked with sparkles in his eyes. 'I know some jokes!' _

That had been the start of an almost endless serious of his failed attempts at humor...but somehow she could only smile at the thought.

As she went on, she noticed that several pages had been torn out...but upon seeing the next visible page she understood.

'_Terra_'

There she was with one arm draped around Beastboy's shoulder, both of them smiling. Of course, it was the only picture of her left, and so it was safe to assume that he had gotten rid of the others.

Raven put the album back and noticed with a frown that Beastboy had also kept Terra's butterfly hairpiece. Raven wasn't sure why this bothered her so much, after all, Beastboy had liked Terra a lot, and it shouldn't have been surprising that in some way he still did...or at least he thought about her often.

_'I'd like for him to think about us that way' _A voice inside Raven's head replied.

Raven shook her head slightly and her gaze turned to Beastboy's Doom Patrol mask. It had looked ridiculous, and in many ways had made him seem even younger than he was. She picked up the mask and noticed that a picture had been lying under it. Picking up the picture with her right hand, she let the mask slip back into the drawer.

Raven looked curiously at the photo...it looked kind of old, considering how the edges were folded and worn, but what had her truly curious was what she saw.

It was a man and a woman, both smiling warmly up from the picture, and a little-boy, no older than four, with blond hair and blue eyes standing between them, waving. She had never seen the people before, and she wondered why Beastboy kept a picture of them...it was obviously important to him...as was everything else in the drawer.

"Um...Raven?" Came Beastboy's voice from behind her.

Raven felt her body tense and her stomach tighten as she turned around to face the changeling. Strands of wet hair fell in front of his face, and so it was safe to assume he had been taking a shower, but now he stood there waiting expectantly for Raven to reply.

Raven could think of no words to justify herself...there she stood in front of Beastboy's open drawer with his picture in her hand. A part of her wished to just teleport out of the room, but she knew that he'd still want an answer as to what she was doing the next time he saw her. Raven had been caught...and she had not choice but to stay and face him.

"Uh...what are you doing in my room?" Beastboy asked with a questioning stare...he looked behind her. "And going through my drawers?"

Raven felt her face grow red...this must look really bad. Beastboy smiled, and even though he was still confused, he now seemed mildly amused by the scene.

"I'm not sure if I should be mad or flattered," Beastboy said, his grin widening...clearly he wasn't mad.

"I was just...looking for…" Raven could tell she was stuttering some but she couldn't help it. She had never been more ashamed and embarrassed.

"It's okay, Raven," Beastboy said causing Raven to blink in surprise. "I know why you're in here."

"You do?" Raven asked with some doubt.

"Yeah," Beastboy replied. "But ya know...all ya had to do was ask."

"Sorry," Raven said quietly. "I was going to, but you weren't here and I...I was ashamed."

"Ashamed?" Beastboy asked with a truly confused expression. "Why would you be ashamed? It's your book."

"My book?" Raven asked, matching Beastboy's expression.

"Yeah…the one I borrowed a few weeks ago," Beastboy said. "That is what you were looking for...right?"

"Oh...um…yes," Raven nodded feeling slightly relieved, she was off the hook...for now.

Beastboy smiled as he stepped forward, looking down at the picture Raven had forgot she still held in her hand. Raven watched as his smile faded and his eyes seemed distant and sad.

"Sorry," Raven apologized. "I shouldn't have been going through your things."

Beastboy seemed to snap out of his trance, and he looked up at her as he took the picture.

"That's okay," he said, but his voice was low.

As he looked back down at the photograph, Beastboy's brow furrowed and his eyes seemed reminisent once again. Raven found herself longing to know what memory lay rooted behind his intense gaze, and she felt compelled to ask.

"Who are they?"

Beastboy didn't even flinch, as if he had already been preparing himself for the question.

"My parents," he replied softly. "And me..."

Raven looked at the boy in the picture and then back up at Beastboy.

"Well...I mean, before I looked like this," Beastboy explained with an uneasy smile.

Raven nodded as Beastboy walked over towards his dresser and looked at the picture some more.

"They look nice," Raven told him, trying to be polite.

Beastboy had never mentioned his real parents to any of them before, and she barely knew anything about the accident that had caused his powers.

"They were," Came Beastboy's soft reply...his back still turned to Raven as he set the picture back inside the drawer.

'_Were'_ Raven thought with a frown. _'that means they're...' _

It shouldn't have surprised her that his parents were gone, since Beastboy did live with the Doom Patrol before he became a titan, but some how hearing him say it, sensing the sadness in his voice, made it all too real.

"Sorry," Raven found herself whispering. "What happened to them?"

Beastboy tensed and Raven, feeling guilty for having asked an obviously personal question, was about to apologize when he spoke up.

"They... they passed away a long time ago," Beastboy explained in a sad voice. "In a boating accident."

Raven felt a sudden wave of guilt and sadness wash over her, though not certain if it was her or Beastboy who was experiencing the emotion at the time. This was a very delicate subject for him, as it would be for anyone who had ever lost a loved one.

She thought again about the happy people smiling up from the picture, his parents, his family, the life he once had...gone. How old was, where did he go, what did he do, and a question almost too terrifying to even think...was he with them? If so, how did he recover from something so traumatizing?

She swallowed back the flood of questions swimming in her head. It wasn't right for her to pry so much into his business. She would be there for him when he was ready to tell her, and somehow she knew that he would.

"It's a nice picture," She finally said, her voice was calm, but inside she felt foolish.

Beastboy let out a sad sort of laugh as he wiped away some tears that had formed in his eyes.

"Yeah...it is nice," He replied in his normal tone, turning to face her. "It's the only picture I have of them. I like to look at it sometimes."

He glanced at the drawer again and reflected.

"Actually,...I haven't looked at it in awhile." He admitted, sounding guilty.

Raven opened her mouth to say something, perhaps even to change the subject, but he spoke before her.

"Oh yeah, your book!" Beastboy said, snapping his fingers as if the thought had just struck him.

He turned to his bed and reached under his mattress to pull it out.

"Well, here ya go," he said in an almost over cheerfull voice as he offered it to her.

"I only finished half of it," he admitted in a normal, but slightly embarassed tone. "Guess I'm not much of a reader."

Raven stared at the book for a moment.

"Keep it." she replied.

Beastboy looked confused. "I thought this is what you wanted."

"Yes, well..." Raven looked off to the side, not quite sure what had compelled her to just give it away. "I changed my mind. I want you to have it."

Beastboy looked at her strangely and then down to the book. "Thanks."

"No problem," She replied. "I also came up here to tell you that breakfast is done."

"I doubt Cyborg made anything I'd eat," Beastboy said. "But I am hungry."

Raven watched as he turned back to his bed as if he were going to place the book back under his mattress. Beastboy looked at the book for a moment and then turned towards his dresser instead, opening up his top drawer and placing it inside.

Raven smiled at the gesture...then she finally noticed something different about Beastboy. It was obvious really, but her previous situation had distracted her.

"Beastboy?" Raven asked. "Why aren't you wearing your uniform?"

Beastboy looked down, and indeed he was wearing a pair of loose fitting jeans and a black T-shirt, along with his usual gloves and shoes. It actually made him look taller.

_'He looks good'_ the voice inside Raven's head told her, but she ignored it

"Oh yeah," Beastboy replied with an almost embarrassed smile. "I think something must be wrong with the washer, 'cause all my uniforms are kinda tight."

Raven nodded and blushed, realizing that she had noticed.

"I just figured I'd wear something a little more comfortable," he replied with a shrug.

Raven nodded again...it made sense.

"Okay, let's go," Beastboy said with plenty of energy. "Every second I spend here is time better wasted on arguing with Cyborg."

Raven sighed and rolled her eyes before following Beastboy out of his room.

_'A gift from the heart'_ she thought to herself. _'Maybe I can do this after all' _

**-Next week at Beastboy's party- **

Beastboy drooled, his mouth open slightly as he gazed at the vast amounts of vegetarian food and a big cake with green frosting.

"SWEET!" He exclaimed.

Unable to contain his excitement, he grabbed a fork and knife and began eating everything in sight.

"Beastboy wait," Robin tried to stop him before he got to the cake. "We haven't..."

His sentence fell short as Beastboy dived into the cake, flinging green frosting on the rest of his friends.

Robin sighed. "…sang Happy Birthday yet."

"Hehe...my bad, dude," Beastboy said with a sheepish grin, brushing the pieces of remaining cake off his t-shirt and pants. "It was real good though."

"I guess we'll have to take your word for it," Raven replied, brushing some forsting of her shoulder.

"See, I told ya he'd like the spread,"Cyborg announced proudly.

"No meat in sight," Beastboy noted giving Cyborg a grateful smile. "Thanks Cy."

"No problem man," Cyborg replied. "But don't expect the same thing this time tomorrow."

Beastboy laughed. "I won't."

"Oh this is so much fun," Starfire replied, a party hat atop her head. "Might we present Beastboy with his gifts now."

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Robin nodded.

"Bring on the presents!" Beastboy exclaimed.

"Dude, you are so gonna worship me after this," Cyborg replied handing him his gift.

Beastboy squealed in excitement as he ripped apart the packaging.  
"DUDE!" He exclaimed. "Its Mega Monkey Fighters Five!"

Cyborg smirked.

"Yep," he said. "And don't think I'll go easy on you just 'cause it's your birthday."

"Easy on me?" Beastboy asked with a smirk. "Yeah right...just try not to cry when I beat you."

"Friend you must open my gift next," Starfire replied extending hers out.

Beastboy took it, but he seemed more careful then he had been with Cyborg's gift. Of course, with Starfire, you never knew what you'd get.

"A book of jokes," Beastboy said as he smiled brightly up at Starfire. "Thanks a bunch Star."

"Perfect," Raven replied dully. "That's all you need...more jokes"

Beastboy smiled at the comment and thanked Starfire again.

"Here you go Beastboy," Robin said handing him his gift. "I figured you could use this."

Beastboy took the package and shook it for a moment ...then he pretended to weigh it...then he placed his ear against it to listen.

"Dude, just open it!" Cyborg yelled.

"You can't rush these kinda things," Beastboy announced, lifting the lid off the nicely wrapped box.

He looked questioningly at it contents, but a smile slowly made a way to his face as he lifted it up.

"Dude...it's perfect," Beastboy said admiring his uniform.

It looked almost identical to his old Doom Patrol uniform except it had a yellow 'T' on the left side, right above where his heart would be.

"I plan on ordering more if it fits right," Robin told him. "I figured you'd want to keep the look the same, though. Now you'll have something to wear on missions."

"Yeah," Beastboy nodded setting the uniform back down into the box. "But you guys should really fix the washer so these uniforms don't shrink too."

"Um Beastboy," Robin replied. "There's nothing wrong with the washer."

"Dude, yes there is," Beastboy said. "If not, then how come all my uniforms shrunk?"

"Did you ever stop to think that you just out grew them," Raven asked calmly.

"Huh?" Beastboy looked lost. "Out grew them?"

"I hate to admit it man," Cyborg replied. "But you have gotten taller."

"I have!?" Beastboy asked standing up and looking at himself. "Robin stand up."

"Why?"

"Dude, I want to see how tall I am."

Robin smiled as he stood up...him and Beastboy were now face to face.

Raven couldn't hid her smile as she watched Beastboy eyes light up with excitement

"DUDE...I'M TALL!" He exclaimed doing a little dance. "Go Beastboy,..it's your birthday,...got taller,... go Beastboy.."

Starfire giggled.

"Okay," Raven replied. "I think that's enough."

"What's wrong Raven?" Beastboy asked with a taunting grin. "Mad cause you're the shortest member of the team now?"

"No." she replied ...she actually liked the idea of him being just a little taller.

"Come on, man," Cyborg complained."I've already got the game set up."

"What about Raven's gift?" Robin asked glancing at the empath.

"Oh yes, friend Raven still has her present to give."

Raven could feel herself tense up as all eyes fell on her and she reached out her small wrapped gift to Beastboy.

Beastboy smiled politely at her as he looked down and began unwrapping it.

His expression faded once it was open and Raven was afraid he didn't like it.

Cyborg stood up to get a better look.

"Looks like a picture frame," he said, giving Raven a confused glance.

"I...thought you could use it" she told him, looking down for a moment. "For a special picture."

Raven looked back up at Beastboy, who still seemed lost in thought as he traced the frame with his thumb for a moment.

"Thanks Raven," He replied in a soft voice. "This is...um...thanks."

"You're welcome," she said.

Beastboy looked up and gave her a soft smile, leaving the others to exchange confused expressions. It was clear to them that the picture frame obviously meant something to Raven and Beastboy, even if they didn't know what.

"Okay guys," Cyborg exclaimed. "Enough presents...it's time to_ Party_!"

Raven looked away from Beastboy as he nodded eagerly to Cyborg and raced him over towards the game station.

She glanced over at the picture frame he had left laying on the counter and second-guessed her decision.

She shook the thought off and went to watch the two play the game. Maybe she would even root for Beastboy, after all, it was his birthday.

**-Later that night- **

Raven glanced at her clock...it was 11:35 and she still hadn't gotten to sleep. Maybe it was the day's early events that were keeping her awake. She was starting to regret the gift she had gotten for Beastboy, even though her had seemed to appreciate it. Knowing Beastboy though, he could have just been being nice. She sighed, determined to finally get some sleep when she heard a light knock on her door.

She was slightly surprised when she slid her door open to find Beastboy. He gave her a small smile as he fidgeted with his gloves.

"Hey Raven," he said.

"Beastboy," Raven addressed him. "What are you doing up?"

"Sorry if I woke you," he apologized. "I just wanted to...um...talk to you for a second."

Raven nodded and opened her door the rest of the way.

"Yes?" She asked, and she watched as Beastboy stared down at the floor for a moment.

Inwardly Beastboy was trying to find the right words...but he admitted that he really didn't know what he wanted to say to Raven. The only thing he did know was that he had spent the last hour and a half staring at the picture frame she had gotten him. He had, of course, put the picture of his parents inside and placed it next to his picture of the titans- but despite that, all he could think about was Raven...

"Well?" Raven asked still sounding rather patient.

"I just wanted to say that..." he paused. "I think that the picture frame is...um..."

Raven stared at him...he had come to talk about her gift...why?

"Sorry," Raven interrupted him. "I should have gotten you something else."

"No, no! That's not it," Beastboy replied hastily. "I'm really glad you got it, Rae."

Raven stared up at him, mildly surprised.

"I mean, Raven," he corrected himself. "That's what I wanted to tell you."

Normally, if Beastboy were to knock on her door at this hour and tell her something like that, she would have been angry and annoyed. Somehow though, she knew that she would sleep better knowing Beastboy had genuinely liked her gift. The realization of this was quite stunning in itself.

_'Since when did I start caring so much about what Beastboy thinks'_ She wondered.

_'Since you started thinking about him.'_ A voice teased.

Raven quickly disguarded the notion.

"Um, Raven?"

She blinked, realizing he was still standing in front of her.

"Oh..." Raven replied. "Is that all?"

_'Am I trying to drag this conversation on?'_

"Um...I'm not sure," Beastboy said with genuine confusion. "I just thought you should know that..."

Raven watched as he rubbed the back of his neck, something she had noticed he did when he got nervous. But ...why was he nervous?

Raven was about to ask when Beastboy looked back up into her eyes and she found herself without words. Since when did he have the ability to make her feel like she was frozen, unable to move away from his gaze; for that matter, when did his gaze ever feel this intense?

Beastboy took in a deep breathe.

"I wanted you to know it meant a lot to me," he finally said, and not waiting for her to reply, he quickly leaned over and kissed her cheek.

Almost immediately after his lips touched her skin did he pull away, looking more shocked at himself then Raven did...both blushing.

"I...um...I gotta go," he said, dashing away down the hall toward his room.

Raven stood there in her door way for a moment...bringing a hand up to her cheek and absentmindedly touching the spot he had kissed. She was shocked, afraid, embarrassed, and happy all at the same time -but much to her surprise nothing shattered...nothing broke...everything was fine.

No…everything was more than fine and she just couldn't understand why she felt that way.

_'That was so great'_ the voice inside her head replied in excitement. _'He kissed us' _

She shook her head...that voice...she had been hearing it a lot lately and always when she was around Beastboy. Raven sighed, realizing that in the morning the two will have pretended like it never happened. It was almost a relief in some way, and Raven told herself that Beastboy was just trying to show her that he was grateful and it meant nothing.

_'But you want it to mean something, don't you?'_

Raven shook her head again as she closed her door and got back into bed. She pulled the covers up and glanced at the clock, noticing it still wasn't mid-night.

"Happy Birthday Beastboy," Raven whispered as she closed her eyes, and sleep finally found her.

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**YAH... so happy...I really enjoyed writing this one. Once again Thank you secondrate**** for your help. Everyone please review!**


	5. fun and fluff

**This took me longer than I expected and I apologize...I had massive writers block...but it is along one. I was determined to get this posted today since I start working tomorrow...yes I know ...it's awful. Also THANK YOU secondrate for helping me fix up my story again...and thanks to everyone who's reviewed.**

* * *

"Dude, I'm telling you, there is no way you can beat me," Beastboy told Cyborg with a confident smile the two of them sitting across from each other on the counter. "I've been staying up late for the last four nights practicing." 

"Practice all you want little man," Cyborg smirked, "'Cause it ain't gonna do you any good."

"We'll see about that," Beastboy said. "And for your information, I'm not little."

"So you grew a few inches, big whoop," Cyborg replied rolling his eyes. "You're still scrawny, and further more, still shorter than me."

"Dude, I'm not scrawny," Beastboy glared. "And besides, you're like a giant."

"And that's cause I eat meat," Cyborg replied finishing up the burger he had been preparing. "Maybe if you'd stop with the whole 'tofu' thing you'd be big and strong like me too."

He flexed his arms to show off his metallic muscles.

"I'll pass," Beastboy replied dully.

"But it's good for you," Cyborg taunted raising his burger up to Beastboy's face.

"Dude I'm serious," Beastboy said leaning his head back to put distance between him and the sandwich.

"You have no idea what your missing out on B," Cyborg replied taking a bite out of his food.

Beastboy shuddered.

"I'd like to keep it that way too," he said, resting his head on his hand. Almost immediately, his eyes traveled over towards Raven -who was obviously doing her best to ignore the two.

"Hey man...you okay?" Cyborg asked beginning to wonder if he had taken things too far.

"Huh..." Beastboy jumped slightly as he looked towards him.

Cyborg glanced over at Raven then back to Beastboy, and raised an eyebrow

"Oh...yeah I'm fine," Beastboy replied, hiding a blush. "Like I said, I've been staying up late to practice...just a little tired that's all."  
"Okay man, whatever you say," Cyborg shrugged a smile forming on his face. "But don't try and use that as an excuse when I beat you."  
"Not going to happen," Beastboy replied.

"Then bring it on green bean," Cyborg challenged every bit ready to abandon his sandwich and rush towards the couch to play.

"Uh...guys," Robin said getting there attention.

"I hate to sound like a parent or something..." He began.

"Which means that you're going to," Beastboy commented.

Robin sighed and Cyborg smirked.

"Fine, ..I may as well go ahead then," Robin replied taking in a deep breath. "Beastboy you shouldn't stay up late...Cyborg you shouldn't tease Beastboy...and both of you are going to have to wait to play your game 'cause Starfire's watching TV."

"Man...you do sound like a parent," Cyborg said, earning a chuckle from Beastboy, and a glare from Robin.

"So what's Star watch'n anyway?" Cyborg asked.

"Some kind of fungus show," Robin replied with a strange look on his face "Apparently their showing an all day marathon."

"Duude," Beastboy said in a whining voice. "How are we suppose to play video games?"

"Beastboy, you play video games everyday... and apparently at night too," he added as an after thought, giving Beastboy a brief disapproving glance. "It's not going to kill you to go one day without it."

"Says you," Beastboy complained, "It's one of my three basic needs...I can't not do it."

"And your three basic needs would be what exactly?" Robin asked admittedly a little curious...Cyborg looking over somewhat interested as well.

Beastboy let out an over exaggerated sigh as he raised his fingers up to list them off

"Eating tofu...Playing video games...and..." He paused glancing at Raven from the corner of his eyes.

"Don't tell me you forgot," Cyborg said with an amused smirk. Robin smiled as well.

"No." Beastboy replied slightly offended.

"Well?" The other two boys asked.

Beastboy looked away and mumbled something under his breath.

"Not all of us have super sensitive hearing," Cyborg commented.

Beastboy sighed, looking a little hesitant...

"Um...I said...telling jokes?" Beastboy replied his expression going from unsure to happy. "Yeah...that's it...telling jokes!"

"I probably should have guessed that one," Cyborg said shaking his head "Way to obvious."

Robin nodded at Cyborg and then turned to Beastboy.

"Sorry Beastboy...but you're just going to have to settle for the other two today," Robin replied. "Unless you want to try and get Starfire away from the TV."

Robin smiled at the apprehension on Beastboy's face.

"Uh...no thanks," Beastboy replied...remembering how upset Starfire got the last time her show was interrupted;also, it was nearly impossible to get her way from the TV when it was on.

"Didn't think so," Robin said with a small smirk.

"Well ... I do have some other things I could work on," Cyborg admitted thoughtfully. "Like fixing some of the towers security glitches."

"Shouldn't you have done that a long time ago?" Robin asked in a slightly upset voice.

"Hey, I've been kinda busy," Cyborg said in his defense. "I was gonna get around to it eventually."

Robin gave him a slight glare and Cyborg was sure he was about to get lectured

"In fact...I'm gonna go do that right now," Cyborg said getting up and making a hasty exit.

Robin sighed.

"I think I'll just get some practice in." he mumbled.

"Dude, how much practice could you need," Beastboy replied, "You train like everyday."

Robin smiled at his teammate as he got up to leave...shrugging his shoulders slightly.

"Basic need." He replied walking out of the room.

Beastboy sighed as he heard the door close and looked out in front of him at Cyborg's half eaten burger. His nose scrunch up in disgust and he decided to dispose of the thing. Picking it up and holding it at arms length away, almost as if it would try and bite him. He tossed it into the trashcan and shuddered.

He sighed again as he glanced around the room...no video games...and he wasn't hungry...so what did that leave.

_'telling jokes' ..._

He shook his head at the thought and sat back down...now across from Raven and one seat over. He looked up at her as she turned the page in her book...and he couldn't help but smile.

"Drinking tea...reading books...and meditating." he said out loud.

Raven looked over at him.

"Excuse me?" She asked.

"Your three basic needs," Beastboy said with a small smile. "I'm right...aren't I?"

She stared at him for a moment seeming to think it over.

"It's not that I can't go without it," She replied, "I'd just prefer not to."

"Yeah, but other than those three things, what else do you do?" He asked, not realizing that he sounded rude.

"I do happen to do other things," Raven said, slightly offended. "Like help save the city."

"Yeah, but that's like our job," Beastboy replied, "Don't you do anything fun?"

"I happen to find the things I do to be very fun," Raven said, starting to sound annoyed.

"What's wrong with trying new things though?" Beastboy asked innocently. "Who knows, you might find something you like just as much."

"I doubt it," Raven replied looking back down at her book...obviously indicating that the conversation was over.

"Okay then," Beastboy said in a sly voice. "If you're afraid."

Raven peeked up from her book.

"Afraid?"

"It's okay Raven," Beastboy said with an innocent smile. "A lot of people are afraid of trying new things."

Raven gave Beastboy the smallest of glares.

"What exactly are you getting at here?" She asked.

Beastboy smiled. "Oh nothing," he replied. "Only that you're..." and he ended the sentence by turning into a chicken and clucking a few times.

Raven glared as she lifted the book up in front of her...refusing to stoop to his level of petty and senseless arguing.

"See! You're not even denying it," Beastboy replied, now back in his human form. "That means it must be true...which means I was right; you're afraid."

"No," Raven replied in calm anger, "There's just no point in arguing over something so childish."

"That sounds like 'coward talk' to me," Beastboy said with a sideways smirk.

Raven slammed her book shut and sent Beastboy an 'I've had enough' glare. Beastboy flinched ...closing his eyes and covering his head with his arms as if a bomb was about to go off. He waited a moment, not sure if he would be verbally or physically assaulted...figuring he was prepared for anything though...he still didn't expect what he heard next.

"What would I have to do?" Raven asked in an obviously forced Calm.

Beastboy lowered his arms and looked over at Raven with wide eyes.

"What?" he asked in obvious shock.

Raven sighed not really wanting to have explain herself.

"Just pick something."

"Really?" Beastboy asked his face lighting up with excitement. "And you'll do it...whatever it is?"

"As long as it isn't something stupid," Raven replied.

Raven watched as Beastboy frantically tried to think of something for her to do...if he waited too long she might just come to her senses and decide against it. Honestly, Raven was a little surprised she was even going to do this...whatever it was. She guessed she was just to stubborn to let Beastboy have the last word...she wasn't sure why, but he always seemed to get to her.

"Okay, okay," Beastboy said more to himself than to Raven. "Let me see...what should you do..."

He looked up...his eyes squinting as if reading the thoughts that were crossing his mind.

"I got it!" he yelled, causing Raven to jump some.

He smiled for a moment as if reflecting on his idea.

"Well?" Raven asked becoming impatient.

"Oh right," he laughed a little. "Well you'll probably think this is stupid..."

"Probably," Raven mumbled.

Beastboy rubbed the back of his neck nervously, not really taking notice to Raven's comment.

"I'd like for you to...play a game," He stated with a small hopeful smile. "...With me."

"Play a game...with you?" Raven repeated slowly to herself.

"Uh...it's okay if you don't," Beastboy quickly replied, feeling stupid. "I can think of something else...maybe you could ...uh..."

"What would we play?" Raven asked, interrupting Beastboy's ramblings.

"What?" Beastboy blinked, surprised for the second time that day.

Raven sighed.

"We can't exactly play video games since Starfire's watching TV," Raven explained, "So what kind of game did you have in mind?"

"Well...I..." Beastboy paused for a moment. "You'd really play a game with me?"

"Well...it's certainly something I don't normally do," Raven admitted, "And if it will get you to leave me alone...then yes."

"Okay then," Beastboy smiled brightly. "I'll even let you pick the game. Whatever you want."

Raven looked thoughtful for a moment as she turned her head away from him.

"I...don't really know many games," She admitted reluctantly.

"You don't?" He asked curiously, "What kind of games did you play when you were a kid?"

Raven was quiet for moment and she shifted somewhat in her seat as if the question had made her uncomfortable.

"I wasn't really allowed to play games when I was younger," Raven replied.

Beastboy was about to question her further on the matter but stopped himself. He remembered that Raven hadn't grown up like most normal children did. She was constantly working at controlling her powers and obviously that left no room for games, all the more reason for Beastboy to try and get Raven to have some fun.

"That's okay," He replied with a small smile.

Raven looked up at him, his eyes soft and kind, not filled with pity but with understanding. It surprised her sometimes how someone, especially Beastboy, could make her feel so...normal.

"I...do know of a few," Raven admitted, "But I've never played any of them before..."

"Really?" Beastboy asked, the excitement returning in his voice. "There's no better time to start."

"They're kind of...childish though," Raven admitted with a light blush.

"That's cool with me," Beastboy laughed, "Those are my favorite kind of games."

Raven looked down. "Well...there's tag...Hide and Seek...and Truth or Dare."

Beastboy smiled at the selection.

"How 'bout Truth or Dare," He suggested, "We don't need a lot of people to play...and it won't take that long."

"Isn't me playing a game with you already considered a dare?" Raven asked.

"Yep," Beastboy grinned, "But I can think of others if I have to."

"Alright then," Raven replied forcing herself not to smile. "You go first."

"Okay Raven," Beastboy said with an almost evil smile. "Truth...or Dare?"

"...Truth" Raven replied calmly.

"Who's your favorite titan?" Beastboy asked immediately.

Raven blinked before narrowing her eyes ever so slightly.

"Well..." Beastboy asked.

"I refuse to choose favorites among my friends," she replied, the slightest hint of annoyance in her voice. "I think of you all as equals."

"Raven, Raven, Raven," Beastboy replied shaking his head with a smile. "If you aren't going to tell the truth then you may as well pick Dare."

Raven was slightly surprised at first, but soon narrowed her eyes at him again.

"Are you trying to say I'm lying?" she asked.

"Just admit it Rae," he told her with a sly smile. "I'm your favorite". He leaned forward slightly and wiggled his eyebrows for effect.

Raven fought off the blush that threatened to form on her face and looked away.

"Dare" she finally said.

"What?" Beastboy asked tilting his head to the side."You can't change it." he protested.

"You can either accept the fact that I don't want to play favorites and give me a dare or..." Raven replied standing up. "I can just leave now."

"No," Beastboy shouted. "I mean...uh...that's fine."

Raven sat back down, inwardly smiling at her victory.

"But you have to do it," Beastboy said in a warning tone. "No take backs."

"Fine," Raven replied.

Beastboy smiled as he stood up and walked to the refrigerator...humming as he pulled out a plate of tofu and brought it back to the table. He smiled knowingly at Raven as he sat the plate down and pushed it in front of her.

"Tofu?" Raven asked dully "That's the dare?"

She looked up at him raising an eyebrow slightly ...it was just too easy.

"So...all I have to do is eat it?" Raven asked skeptically

"Who said anything about eating," Beastboy asked, his grin widening as Raven gave him a strange look.

"If you don't want me to eat it...," she slowly asked looking down at the plate. "Then what am I suppose to do?"

"Easy," Beastboy replied, "You pick it up and smush it on your face."

Raven eyes went wide and she stared at the changeling as if to say 'you can't be serious'.

Raven opened her mouth to protest but was interrupted.

"Ah, ah, ah." Beastboy replied shaking his finger, "No take backs remember...no matter how stupid."

Beastboy leaned forward unable to hide his eagerness. Raven let out a defeated groan as she looked back down at the tofu, reluctantly taking it in her cupped hands.

_'Okay Raven'_ she thought to herself. _'You can just set this down now and walk away'_

She looked up at Beastboy who raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Scared?" He asked mockingly.

Raven glared at him for a moment then looked back down at the large amount of tofu in her hands.

_'You can do this'_ Raven told herself.

_'Dude...I can't believe she's going to do this'_ Beastboy thought _'Where's a camera when ya need one'_

Raven sighed before taking in a deep breath and throwing her face down into her tofu covered hands.

After the intial shock wore off, she slowly lifted her head up; her face covered in white mush, strands of hair on each side of her face also combined with the substance. She blinked a few times, her hands still out in front of her and her expression frozen in disgust and horror.

She was quickly brought back to reality as Beastboy laughter filled the room. She glared across the table at him as he wrapped both arms around his sides and bent over, unable to stop. Tears were beginning to make there way to the corner of his eyes as he tried to calm himself.

"Raven...you...haha...look..." He managed to open his eyes enough to see the angry look on Raven's tofu covered face and immediately stopped. He swallowed hard and gave Raven a nervous smile, feeling as though he were shrinking beneath her gaze.

"You...uh...look great," Beastboy replied nervously. "Yep...definitely your color."

"That.Was.Not.Fun." Raven stated, though her glare had lessened.

"Heh...uh...yeah sorry," Beastboy replied with a weak smile. "I can go get you towel."

"Better get two," Raven said.

"Two?...why tw..." Beastboy's question was immediately interrupted, as a hand full of tofu was launch at his face. He stumbled backwards by the impact and from shock. He looked up at Raven who simply smirked in return, more of her face now visible.

"Hey, no fair," Beastboy replied though he couldn't keep from smiling. "You cheated."

"Funny...I don't remember you saying that was against the rules," She replied still smirking.

"Well...uh...it is now," Beastboy proclaimed puffing out his chest. "It's the official 'no throwing tofu at Beastboy' rule."

"Fair enough," Raven agreed sitting back down. "Are we going to finish the game or not?"

"You mean you want to keep playing?" He asked in disbelief. "really?"

"Technically, the game isn't over until after I ask you," Raven replied, "Right?"

"Oh ...yeah," Beastboy said, wiping some of the tofu away as he sat down in front of her. "Ask away."

"Truth or Dare?" Raven asked in her usual monotone.

"Truth" Beastboy replied.

Raven raised an eyebrow, having expected him to be the more outgoing of the two and choose dare. He gave a sheepish smile as if reading her thoughts and answered.

"I wouldn't want any Dare induced pay back," he replied and Raven couldn't help but smile slightly. She looked down for a moment, trying to figure out what kind of truth would be most embarrassing for him, or at least, something that he wouldn't normally admit to on his own. Curiosity got the better of her though and she couldn't help but wonder...

"What were you really going to say?" She asked and Beastboy sent her a confused stare.

"Your third basic need," Raven explained, "You weren't going to say 'telling jokes' were you?"

Beastboy stared at her for a moment before looking down.

"No...I wasn't," Beastboy replied.

"What then?" Raven asked.

"Telling jokes is definitely one of my specialties," He replied with a small smile. "But I...I was going to say trying to get you to laugh...or even just to smile."

Raven could feel her cheeks blush and she hoped that it wasn't noticeable because of the tofu.

"That's...nice," Raven replied softly.

Beastboy looked up at her with slight surprise before giving her a shy smile. Raven's violet eyes shined with what Beastboy could only assume was gratitude as she looked into his emerald ones.

_'Wow' _Beastboy thought, _'Even covered in tofu she's beautiful'_

Beastboy didn't even notice as they began to lean forward, as if some force was pulling them closer together.

Raven could not stop what was happening, what was going to happen, and she didn't want to. Their lips were almost touching now...their eyes beginning to close.

EEEEEERRRRRR EEEEERRRRRR EEEEERRRRR EEEEERRRRRRR

"Ahhhh..." Both Raven and Beastboy screamed and jumped back out of their seats as the Titans alarm went off.

Suddenly the noise stopped and Beastboy and Raven stood there trying to catch their breath...when in the distance you could hear Cyborg scream.

"My bad...false alarm."

A part of Raven was angry at Cyborg for having interrupted them, while another side was simply relieved and grateful that he had. Embarrassment, however, was stronger than any other emotion at the moment and both Raven and Beastboy looked up at each other trying desperately not to blush.

"Uh...um...heh," Beastboy rubbed the back of his neck and smiled weakly. "Good game Raven."

Raven nodded slightly.

"It wasn't to bad," She said, relieved to find her voice was calm. "Though I'm not ready to throw away my books just yet."

Beastboy gave a small fake chuckle at the comment.

"Yeah...I didn't think so," he replied.

A moment of silence filled the room as Beastboy and Raven looked down at the floor. Finally a small smirk appeared on Beastboy's face as he looked up at her.

"Scared you, didn't it?" he asked.

Raven looked up, startled.

"Huh?"

"The alarm," Beastboy said with confidence. "Admit it...you were scared."

"I'm not the one who screamed like a little girl," Raven shot back.

"HEY!" Beastboy protested, "I do not scream like a little girl."  
Raven glared slightly at Beastboy as he stuck out his tongue. Inwardly she was smiling at him though, for having saved them from the awkwardness of the moment.

"Fine, whatever," Raven replied in her monotone voice, "I'm just going to go and take a shower before anyone sees me."

Beastboy smiled slightly as Raven tried wiping more of the tofu off her face with her sleeve.

_'She looks yummy'_ a deeper, more animalistic, voice replied in his head. The voice sent a chill down Beastboy's spine and he mentally slapped himself..._'where the hell did that come from'_

"Um...Beastboy," Raven said stopping near the door to turn around and face him.

"Yeah." he squeaked, almost afraid Raven had heard his thoughts.

"I really did enjoy this..." She told him, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Beastboy replied with a friendly smile, all previous thoughts forgotten. "Maybe we could do this again sometime?"

Raven stared at him for a moment. "You mean Truth or Dare?"  
Beastboy shrugged.

"Doesn't matter," he replied. "I like just hanging out with you."

Raven smiled and opened her mouth to speak when the door behind her swooshed open.

"I'm telling you, man, it was an accident," Cyborg replied walking along side Robin who didn't look at all happy.

"Cyborg, I'm really not in the mood to..." Robin stopped as he spotted the two titans standing in the room.

Cyborg noticed his expression and looked up as well. There stood Raven and Beastboy, both of them looking like deer caught in the headlights. Beastboy offered an embarrassed smile and Raven stood as if frozen in time...both of their faces covered in tofu. Cyborg and Robin exchanged glances before busting out in laughter. Raven pulled up her hood, as if that alone would shield her from the embarrassment.

"Man…haha...what did we miss?" Cyborg managed to get out between fits of laughter

"Looks like...haha...Beastboy's lunch exploded," Robin replied.

Raven turned her head away and Beastboy shot the two laughing titans an annoyed glare.

"I'm just going to go," Raven mumbled, beginning to vanish beneath the floor in her black energy.

The laughter slowly stopped.

"Raven wait..." Beastboy said, but she was already gone.

Beastboy frowned as he looked down at the spot where she had been.

"Hey, sorry man," Cyborg replied with a frown.

"We weren't trying to upset her," Robin added.

Beastboy sighed.

"I know," he replied, "But now she'll never..."

"Never what?" Cyborg asked.

Beastboy glared slightly at the two.

"Nothing," he mumbled crossing his arms and looking away.

Cyborg and Robin exchanged confused glances, trying to fill in the pieces.

"I'm sure she'll forgive you, Beastboy," Robin told him.

"Yeah," Cyborg nodded, "She always does."

_'Forgive me?'_ Beastboy thought.

"Oh...yeah," Beastboy replied quietly, realizing that it appeared as if he had been the one responsible for the mess. "I hope so."

"I am certain that friend Raven is not upset with you," Came Starfire's voice.

The three titans looked over towards the couch where the alien was now standing.

"Starfire!" Beastboy squeaked having forgotten she had been in the room the entire time. "H-how long h-have you been listening?"

"Ever since the alarm, which had rudely interrupted my favorite earth broadcast," She replied putting on a small apologetic smile. "I did not mean to drop the eaves."

"You mean eavesdrop," Robin replied.

"Yes, I apologize," Starfire said.

"That's...okay...no problem Star," Beastboy replied glad she hadn't seen what had almost happened.

"Yeah it's not like Beastboy and Raven were having some kind of private moment," Cyborg said both him and Robin laughing slightly.

"Uh...right...heh...I'm just gonna...uh...go wash up," Beastboy replied walking towards the door making sure to keep his head down to hide his blush.

Robin and Cyborg just shrugged at his behavior while Starfire smiled knowingly.

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Raven stood over the bathroom sink and splashed more water onto her face. Silently she reached for a towel to pat her face dry then looked up into the mirror. She stared at her reflection for a moment with a frown.

_'We were so close'_ a voice inside Raven's head replied. _'He was going to kiss us...we were so close'_

"who are you?" Raven asked herself still staring at her reflection.

_'You know, I think Beastboy's our favorite'_ the voice replied obviously ignoring Raven's question. _'You should have told him...I bet he would have liked that'_

_'Who are you?'_ Raven repeated in her head seemingly annoyed. _'Every time I'm around Beastboy I feel you...you're the one who makes me blush...who make me smile when he's around'_

_'That's not me Rae'_ the voice replied. _'Its Beastboy who makes you feel that way...its Beastboy who you feel for'_

Understanding flashed across her face.

"That means you're..."

_'Affection...love'_ the emotion finished.

Raven swallowed hard and stepped back from the mirror shaking her head slightly.

"No...that can't be."

There was a knock on the door and Raven jumped slightly.

"Raven..." Came Beastboy's voice from the other side "Are you in there?"

She stared at the door unable to find her voice at the moment.

"Listen Rae...I'm really sorry," he replied pressing lightly on the door and sliding it open. He looked inside but it was empty, nothing but a towel laying down on the floor and the sound of the dripping sink.

* * *

**I hope everyone enjoyed this...please leave me a review. I really hope my job doesn't stop me from posting more. THANKS again secondrate . REVIEW PEOPLE...it motivates me! **


	6. No Turning Back Pt1

**Hello readers . Thanks to everyone who reviewed...and to secondrate for all your beta help. **

**I've been working a DQ for a week now and I'm glad that I managed to get something done.**

**This is the first time I've had to make a two part chapter...I just didn't want it to be outragiously long...plus it would have taken me longer...more time you would have had to wait for.**

**Please enjoy!**

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Beastboy sighed as he poured some tea into a cup, hesitantly lifting it up and taking a drink. His eyes widened in disgust as he spit the tea out and shuddered, disposing of the batch and proceeding to make another. 

"Uh...Beastboy?" Robin asked, staring at him from his spot behind the counter.

"Huh," Beastboy replied glancing up casually as he put on another pot of water.

"Dude, that's like the fifth time you've done that," Cyborg stated, sitting next to Robin with matching expressions of confusion and curiosity.

"So?" Beastboy asked with a shrug.

"I believe they are inquiring as to why," Starfire answered, standing beside Robin.

"Dudes, I already told you, it's for Raven."

"And why was that again?" Cyborg asked.

"Hello!" Beastboy exclaimed waving his arms. "Have you noticed how mad she's been at me lately?"

Robin shrugged and Starfire gave a weak smile.

"Actually...now that I think about it," Cyborg replied, "I haven't seen much of Raven."

"Exactly," Beastboy said. "She's so mad she doesn't even want to see me."

"Is this about what happened last week?" Cyborg asked, "That thing with the tofu."

Beastboy bowed his head slightly and turned towards the pot on the stove.

"Maybe." He replied.

"I don't know, Beastboy," Robin said doubtfully. "Raven's not usually one to hold a grudge."  
"Did not friend Raven forgive you?" Starfire asked, "I thought that you had spoken with her."

"Yeah...well," he shrugged. "She said she wasn't mad...but..."

"See," Cyborg replied, "She isn't mad at you."

"But she was on the other side of her door when she said it," Beastboy recalled turning towards his friends. "She wouldn't even talk to me face to face."

"So," Robin said. "That doesn't mean anything."

"Right after she said it, she also told me to go away and leave her alone," Beastboy replied with a deadpan expression.

"Okay..." Cyborg said, "Maybe she was just having a bad day."

Beastboy sighed as he took the pot of water off the stove to fix the tea.

"I believe that it is most thoughtful of friend Beastboy to prepare the tea for Raven." Starfire commented.

Beastboy smiled..._'Finally some positive feedback'_

"If he ever manages to get it right," Cyborg added.

Beastboy frowned. _'Thanks a lot Cy'_

Beastboy sighed once again as he poured the tea into a cup and lifted it to take a drink. The others stared on as he sipped it before spitting it back out.

"Wrong again?" Robin asked.

Beastboy gagged then shuddered before turning towards them.

"Nope," He replied, managing a smile despite the look of disgust on his face. "It's perfect."

"Then why'd ya spit it out?" Cyborg asked.

"Dude, have you ever tasted Raven's tea?" He asked, "It's awful."

Robin and Cyborg shook their heads.

Just then the doors to the common room swooshed open and everyone looked over at Raven. She walked silently forward, holding an open book in her hands and taking a seat on the far end of the counter.

"Greetings friend Raven," Starfire said. "Might I inquire as to your whereabouts this day."

"Yeah, where ya been?" Cyborg asked.

"My room," Raven replied not looking up from her book.

"We haven't seen much of you lately," Robin pointed out. "Anything wrong?"

"No," she replied just as calmly. "Everything's fine."

Beastboy, who hadn't said a word since she enter the room, just looked nervously to the side. Starfire smiled as she made her way over toward him.

"I believe that friend Beastboy has something he wishes to tell you," Starfire said, nudging him forward.

Raven simply turned the page in her book and nodded.

"Uh..." Beastboy froze for a second as he looked back at Starfire who nodded encouragingly.

"Ahem...uh yeah," He replied in a small voice. "I...um...fixed you some tea."

Raven visibly tensed as she looked up from her book.

"You did?" she asked.

_'That's so nice of him'_ Love replied.

Ravens expression hardened for a second and then she gave Beastboy a suspicious look.

"What did you do to it?" She asked.

"Huh?" Beastboy looked taken back. "I didn't do anything."

Raven looked unconvinced.

"Here...you can check for yourself," he replied, turning around and grabbing the pot. Feeling rushed and nervous, he clumsily snatched up a cup and turned toward Raven.

He stumbled slightly, losing his balance and falling forward, the pot of tea spilling out onto Raven's book and some onto her uniform. Raven gasped and stood up...Beastboy straightened himself, but his eyes were wide and fearful. Robin and Cyborg, who had also jumped out of their seat, slowly stepped back, awaiting Beastboy's inevitable doom.

"R-Raven...I'm s-sorr..." Beastboy stuttered, but was interrupted as the teacup he was still holding exploded. He yelped and jumped back, looking up at Raven, who was glaring at him.

She growled slightly, her hands down by her sides balled into fists, she grabbed her dampened book off the table and stormed out of the room. Starfire quickly followed after her, leaving the three male titans alone.

Beastboy rubbed his sore hand and looked down at the floor with a frown.

"You okay, man?" Cyborg asked.

"Told ya she was mad at me," Beastboy mumbled.

"If she wasn't mad before...she is now," Robin replied.

"Maybe you should...apologize?" Cyborg suggested.

Beastboy's saddened expression turned to one of annoyance and anger.

"Apologize?" He asked looking up at the two. "I was just trying to do something nice and she jumps all over me."

"Well...you are known for pulling pranks," Cyborg noted.

"And you did just spill tea all over her book, and on her uniform," Robin added.

"But she didn't even give me a chance to say sorry," Beastboy replied in an exasperated tone.

"Just give her some time to cool down first," Cyborg told him.

"How much time does she need?" Beastboy asked, still a little flustered. "I mean, I'll probably lose all my hair before she forgives me."

"Which might not be long if you keep stressing about it," Cyborg said with a small smile.

"Why are you getting so worked up over this anyway?" Robin asked curiously, "Raven's been mad at you before."

"Yeah but she...when I...and then...Grrr...forget it," he replied crossing his arms over his chest and looking away.

Cyborg and Robin exchanged confused glances before looking back at their friend.

"Are you sure you're okay, B?" Cyborg asked.

"Of course I'm okay...why wouldn't I be," Beastboy replied in a calm but angry voice. "I mean, it's not like I care whether or not Raven's mad at me. Why would I?...In fact, she can stay mad at me...'cause I'm not apologizing...not again."

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**Out in the hallway **

"Raven, please wait," Starfire pleaded as she caught up with her dark friend.

Raven stopped and turned towards her with an annoyed expression. "Listen, Starfire, I'm not really in the mood to talk right now."

"Yes, I understand," Starfire replied, "You are upset."

_'My aren't you observant'_ Raven thought but outwardly she nodded.

"Are you perhaps... expecting a visit from your 'friend'?" Starfire asked cautiously.

"My friend?" Raven repeated looking confused.

"Yes," Starfire nodded, "I believe it is a monthly visit..."

Raven's eyes widened slightly in realization before returning to normal.

"No," she replied, "I'm not."

"Oh," Starfire said, "There is another reason for your anger then?"

"Other than the fact that my book is ruined and I have to change clothes?" Raven asked "No."

"I am certain that friend Beastboy is sorry," Starfire replied, "It was merely an accident."

"Beastboy's the accident," Raven stated bitterly, "Why he ever thought he could make tea, not to mention carry it safely from one spot to the other, is beyond me."

"I believe that he had hoped you would be pleased with him," Starfire replied, "I think that it was most nice of him to make the tea for you."

"Yes...and that worked out great, didn't it?" Raven said, lifting up her destroyed book.

"Though I agree the outcome was less than desired, his intentions were well placed." Starfire reminded her.

Raven looked down and sighed, wishing she could somehow escape the constant nagging emotions inside her. Even meditation didn't seem to be enough to get her mind on track any more.

Starfire frowned as she placed her hand on Raven's shoulder.

"Perhaps you are needing time to sort out your feelings for him?" Starfire asked.

Raven looked up, surprised, though her expression remained blank.

"What fee..."

Before she could finish her question the titans alarm went off.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What's going on?" Raven asked as her and Starfire entered the main room. The other three titans were already standing in front of a large computer screen.

"Looks like Mammoth and Gizmo are up to their old tricks," Robin reported, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"Man, when will they just give it up," Cyborg said, "They know we're gonna kick their butts."

Raven looked over at Beastboy from the corner of her eyes to see him staring at her expectantly. She redirected her attention to the screen again and pretended not to have noticed.

"Let me guess," She said blankly. "They're robbing the bank...again."

"Not this time," Robin replied, "Looks like a hotel.".  
"Hotel?" Beastboy asked with a confused look. "That's new"

"Indeed," Starfire nodded. "They have never done so before."

"Doesn't mean we won't stop them," Robin replied. "Lets go."

They all began filing out of the room, Raven and Beastboy being the last to leave.

"Raven?" Beastboy said walking quickly behind her. "Listen, I didn't mean to...well...I was just trying to..."

"Save it Beastboy," Raven said, glancing back at him. "We don't have time for this."

Beastboy nodded sadly as Raven took off and then he transformed into a pterodactyl to do the same.

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**-At the hotel- **

"Checking in Gizmo?" Robin asked as he and the rest of the titans entered the Hotel. Gizmo was currently loading money into a sack at the counter when he looked up at them.

"Actually, I was just checking out," Gizmo replied with a smirk. "Not that it's any of your business, pee for brains."

"It is when you put innocent people in danger" Robin countered.

"Heh...yeah right," Gizmo replied. "Like you really care about them. You're just in it for the glory."

This comment earned glares from all the titans.

"We only wish to help," Starfire stated as she raised her glowing hands up in a fighting stance. "And if we must fight you to do so...then we shall."

Gizmo then burst out into laughter...Causing Starfire to lower her hands in confusion.

"I have...said something humorous?" Starfire asked, glancing at Robin.

"No," Robin shook his head. "He's just being a jerk."

"I don't see what's so funny man," Cyborg replied, "You know you're out numbered."

"Not to mention out matched," Beastboy added with a grin.

"Do you crud-sniffers think I'm dumb?" Gizmo asked.

"Considering the fact that we've beaten you more times than I can remember, and you still keep coming back for more," Raven replied dully. "Yes."

Beastboy snickered at the comment, earning a fleeting glance from Raven and a glare from Gizmo.

"What makes you think we'll just let you leave here?" Robin asked while noticing Gizmo's still overly confident demeanor.

"Because, this Hotel is almost 10 stories high and has over a hundred people currently inside," Gizmo grinned. "And by now, Mammoth has already finished placing my bombs on each floor."

"Bombs?" Robin asked looking slightly worried.

"That's right barf-bag," Gizmo sneered holding up a hand held control stick with a button on top "With just a push of a button I can set them off, destroying this building and everything inside."

Starfire gasped as everyone looked on in shock and worry...the tables had turned.

"And if you do-gooders really care about protecting the innocent," Gizmo smirked at Robin. "Then you're not going to stop us."

Robin clenched his hands into fists.

"Robin...what shall we do?" Starfire asked in concern.

Robin tensed some more but didn't look up at her.

_'I...I don't know'_ he thought and he hated himself for it.

"Allow me to help you with this dilemma," Gizmo replied pushing the button and causing everyone in the room to jump. "Relax idiots, it's only a timer. You have exactly 30 Minutes to get everyone out of this building."

"You mean while you get away," Robin seethed.

"Heh...your choice bird brain," Gizmo replied. "You can capture me and leave everyone in this building to die or let me go free while you save them."

_'Dude...what's Robin waiting for'_ Beastboy wondered with a frown _'We have to get everyone out'_

"Tick tock," Gizmo taunted.

"New plan," Robin replied turning towards the titans. "Cyborg, you and Raven go to the top floor and try and disable the bombs...me, Starfire, and Beastboy will try and get everyone out safely...got it?"

Everyone nodded and Raven and Cyborg disappear in an aura of black magic.

Starfire, Robin, and Beastboy began to go up to different floors and evacuate people. This was an incredibly difficult job because there were so many rooms on each floor and most everyone had no idea of what trouble they were in.

Beastboy pounded on yet another door.

"If there's anyone in there I suggest you get out now before you're blown to pieces," He yelled but no one answered and he turned into a gorilla and pounded harder.

_'What's wrong with people'_ Beastboy thought _'When a green gorilla comes pounding on your door you don't just ignore it.'_

He frowned as he pounded on the next door, then the next,...then the next.

_'This isn't working'_ he thought in distress, spotting a fire alarm on the wall, he smiled and turned back into his human form.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Beastboy yelled as he pulled down on the lever.

EEEERRRRR ERRRRR ERRRRRRR

The sprinkler systems came on and every door that Beastboy had knocked on came bursting open as people began to run out.

"Now that's more like it." Beastboy replied.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Else where...top floor.

Raven growled in annoyance as she was soaked with the sprinklers.

_'Great'_ she thought sarcastically _'Now I don't have to take a shower when we get back'_

_'...If we get back'_ she thought with a frown...a feeling of fear and worry washing over her.

"We don't even know where the bombs are located," Raven replied to Cyborg. "The chances of finding and deactivating them all are slim."

"We won't have to find them all," Cyborg told her, "Just the first one."

"And how will that help us?"

"Trust me, I know Gizmos work," Cyborg replied, "There's no way he was able to set each bomb to go off at the same time...which means that they're connected somehow."

"The first bomb acts as a trigger to set off the others," Raven concluded, "So if we deactivate the first one..."

"The others will be useless," Cyborg grinned and nodded.

"I'll check the roof," Raven replied in a more serious tone.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Gizmo growled as he quickly stuffed more money into his bag and pulled out a communicator.

"Mammoth," He yelled. "Those crud-sniffing titans are trying to ruin the plan...its time to take what you can and move out."

"Right," Came Mammoths deep voice from the other side. "I'll be right there."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey Robin," Beastboy said into his Titans communicator. "Every thing's clear on this floor...I'm going to check the top."

"There's still some people left on this floor," Robin replied, "And we only have 15 minutes so hurry."

"Will do," Beastboy replied putting the communicator away and taking off.

_'Okay Beastboy, don't panic'_ he thought to himself as he started running. _'It can't end like this...not like this...not after everything we've done...and not before Raven forgives me'_

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Stupid no brain animal," Gizmo muttered. "If he thinks I'm waiting around for him, he's dumber than I thought."

Gizmo activated his jet pack and began to leave _'then again'_ he thought _'I probably should have told him that I set the bombs off'._ He smirked and decided to let his 'friend' figure it out on his own.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Relief washed over Raven as she managed to spot the bomb out on the roof.

"Perfect," She said to herself as she walked towards it.

Suddenly a pair of large arms grabbed her from behind.

"Change of plans," Came Mammoth's voice as he restrained her.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**I'm not good at mission scenes and battles...sorry if it sucked. Hopefully I'll be able to finish up the second half after some more reviews . **

**LATER!**

**REVIEW PWEASE!**


	7. Part Two!

**HEY again...yep part two is here...that didn't take to long did it?...I added some RobXStar into this...man it turned out to be long, even with two parts.**

**Thanks for reviewing everyone! **

**And here's a recap on Part one:**

_

* * *

__"Are you sure you're okay B?" Cyborg asked._

_"Of course I'm okay...why wouldn't I be" Beastboy replied in a calm but angry voice. _

_Starfire frowned as she placed her hand on Ravens shoulder. _

_"Perhaps you are needing time to sort out your feelings for him?" Starfire asked._

_"Looks like Mammoth and Gizmo are up to their old tricks," Robin said not taking his eyes off the screen._

_"Raven?" Beastboy asked walking quickly behind her. "Listen I didn't mean to ...well...I was just trying to.." _

_"Save it Beastboy," Raven replied glancing back at him. "We don't have time for this." _

_"What makes you think we'll just let you leave here?" Robin asked noticing Gizmos still overly confident demeanor. _

_"Because this Hotel is almost 10 stories high...and has over a hundred people currently inside," Gizmo replied, "And by now Mammoth has already finished placing my bombs on each floor" _

_"New plan," Robin replied turning towards the titans "Cyborg, you and Raven go to the top floor and try and disable the bombs...me, Starfire, and Beastboy will try and get everyone out safely...got it?" _

_"The first bomb acts as a trigger to set off the others," Raven concluded, "So if we deactivate the first one..." _

_"The others will be useless," Cyborg grinned and nodded. _

_'Okay Beastboy, don't panick' he thought to himself as he started running. 'It can't end like this...not like this...not after everything we've done...and not before Raven forgives me'_

_Relief washed over Raven as she managed to spot the bomb out on the roof. _

_"Perfect," She said to herself as she walked towards it. _

_Suddenly she was grabbed from behind by a pair of large arms. _

_"Change of plans," Came Mammoths voice as he restrained her._

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Raven narrowed her eyes in anger.

"That's what you think," she said. "Azerath Metrion Zinthos!"

...Nothing.

Ravens eyes widened.

_'What's wrong'_ she thought. _'My powers...why aren't they working'_

She heard Mammoth chuckle.

"Looks like this will be easy," he replied.

"You have to let me go," Came Raven's stern reply as she struggled in his grip...if she couldn't use force, then she'd try reason. "If you don't, this whole building is going down and us along with it."

Mammoth laughed again.

"Nice try," He replied. "But there's no way I'm falling for it."

Raven growled...reason rarely worked on idiots.

"I have no powers, so what's the point in even restraining me?" She asked angrily.

"It's fun," He replied and Raven could hear the smile in his voice.

Just then Beastboy opened the door leading to the building's roof and his eyes fell upon Raven and Mammoth.

"Raven," Beastboy yelled.

Both Raven and Mammoth looked over at him.

"Beastboy hurry," Raven yelled. "The bomb!"

Beastboy looked around trying to find it as Raven struggled more in Mammoth's grip.

She thrust her elbow back as hard as she could and Mammoth's hold loosened enough for her to slip through. Raven's hit wasn't enough to stop him, however, and now...he was angry.

"Come back here," he growled, grabbing her roughly by the arm and jerking her back.

Beastboy, having finally spotted the bomb, stopped and looked over his shoulder.

_'Why isn't she using her powers'_ Beastboy thought. _'What's wrong'_

"Hurry," Raven yelled as if sensing Beastboy's pause. "Just go!"

Mammoth grabbed her other arm and pulled her in closer.

Beastboy growled and clenched his fists.

_'He can't touch Raven like that'_ Beastboy thought angrily.

_'Then do something about it'_ came a deeper voice inside his head. _'Protect what's yours'_

Raven and Mammoth's faces were now only inches apart. Raven turned her head away and closed her eyes as she felt his hot breath on her face.

"LET HER GO!" Raven heard Beastboy yell, and in no time he was upon them, turning into a tiger and biting down hard on Mammoth's arm.

He screamed, dropping Raven to the ground and throwing punches at the green changeling.

Raven's eyes widened as she watched Beastboy transform over and over again, dodging all of Mammoths hits and landing some on his own. Finally, in the form of a bird, Mammoth managed to grab him. Slowly Beastboy transformed back into his human form, Mammoth's large hands still wrapped around his throat. Breathing heavy from exhaustion and grabbing Mammoth's wrists, he struggled to get free. Mammoth applied even more pressure and Raven felt her heart sink down into her stomach as Beastboy's struggle lessened.

"NO!" She yelled, and much to her surprise a blast of black energy shot toward them and knocked Mammoth over onto his back.

_'What...how'_ Raven wondered looking down at her hands.

Beastboy, who was now on his knees, rubbed his throat as he looked up at her. Smiling weakly, he was about to thank her when she gasped.

"The bomb!"

Scrambling to her feet and running over to the device, she raised her hands toward it.

9...8...7

_'Please work now'_ she thought to herself.

6...5...4..

"Azerath Metrion Zinthos!"

Much to her relief, a sphere of black energy formed around the bomb and it was destroyed, pieces of the device falling harmlessely to the ground.

She sighed, then jumped slightly when the door to the roof burst open and the other titans came through.

"Raven," Cyborg yelled looking around.

"You disabled the bomb?" Robin asked or rather stated.

"Well, we didn't blow up," Raven supplied dully.

"Then we are victorious." Starfire said.

Robin frowned, not feeling satisfied with what had just occurred.

"Gizmo got away." he replied. "We should have been more prepared."

"Hey, don't sweat it man," Cyborg said, "We'll get 'em next time."

"I am merely relieved that we are all unharmed," Starfire replied, but her smile faded as she looked behind Raven and over at Beastboy, who was just now getting to his feet...still rubbing his soar throat.

"Beastboy!" she exclaimed, making her way towards him with the others close behind...well...except for Raven.

"You okay man?" Cyborg asked, placing a hand on Beastboy's shoulder.

"Yeah," Beastboy replied, his voice a little rough, but he was smiling weakly nonetheless.

He looked up at Raven who was slowly making her way forward, he started to approach her but staggered some. Robin grabbed his arm to steady him.

"You sure?" he asked, "You seem a little off."

"Just tired," Beastboy admitted in a more normal tone. "To many transformations ...to fast..." he shrugged.

Robin spotted Mammoth lying on the ground and gave a small smile.

Beastboy, now standing on his own, seemed to be gaining his strength back fairly quickly.

"Hey Raven," Beastboy replied looking up at her with a smile. "Um,Thanks."

Raven, however, did not return the smile. If anything, she looked... angry.

"Thanks?" She replied. "Is that all you can say?"

"I...uh..." Beastboy looked surprised by her attitude, as did the others.

"All you had to do was destroy the bomb," Raven continued. "Or was that to much for your tiny brain to comprehend."

"I was only trying to help you," he said in his defense, a little hurt by Raven's harsh words.

"How?" Raven yelled, "By getting us all blown up?"

Beastboy glared and opened his mouth to yell back, but Raven stopped him.

"What you did was stupid, Beastboy," Raven continued. "You're selfishness almost got us all killed."

"Selfishness?" Beastboy gasped looking confused and angry. "You think _I'm _selfish?"

"Friends, please do not fight," Starfire pleaded, standing between the two.

"Stars right," Robin said in a more stern voice. "It's over...there's no sense in arguing about it."

"Maybe we should all head back home," Cyborg suggested in a calm voice.

Raven turned without a word and walked away. Beastboy let out an angry growl as he changed into a crow and headed off towards the tower.

Cyborg sighed.

"You two go ahead," Robin also sighed. "I'll make sure Mammoth gets handed over to the proper authorities."

"Are you certain you do not require any company?" Starfire asked.

Robin smiled. "I appreciate the offer Star, but it might take awhile-explaining everything to the cops and all."

"Are you saying then, that you do not wish for me to stay?" Starfire asked with a frown.

"No it's not that... I'd love for you to stay with me...I mean...that would be nice..." Robin replied, fighting off a blush. "I just wouldn't want you to get bored."

"And I would not wish for you to be lonely," Starfire insisted.

"Let me make this easy on you guys," Cyborg intervened. "Starfire, you keep Robin company, and Robin, you keep Starfire...heh...entertained."

Cyborg smirked and gave Robin a wink...earning a slight glare from the leader

"Oh that would be most wonderful," Starfire clapped, "Do you not agree, Robin?"

Robin looked at her and nodded numbly.

"Okay, then it's settled," Cyborg announced as he began to leave. "Don't be home to late you two." he laughed.

**-Back at the tower-**

Raven made her way to her room, locked the door behind her and fell onto her bed. She was unable to summon her powers to fly home and so was even more distressed.

"What's wrong?" She asked herself, staring up at her ceiling, her angry towards Beastboy temporarily forgotten.

Beastboy was currently in his room staring up at the ceiling as well.

_'I can't believe her'_ he mentally fumed. _'I try and save her and she gets mad and calls me selfish.'_

_'I should have just let her handle things on her own'_

Beastboy let out a deep breath and his mind wandered back to what had happened ...what had he been thinking at the time.

_'Protect what's yours?'_

_'Ravens not mine...'_ He thought with a strange expression on his face. _'She's my friend, but she doesn't belong to me. Why would I think that?'_

He set up in his bed and looked down at the floor with a confused expression.

_'And why am I so upset about her being mad at me'_ he asked himself. _'She's forgiven me before, right...? Maybe I should go apologize again and...'_ he stopped and shook his head.

No, he wasn't apologizing, not this time. Instead, he stood up and marched out of his room.

Raven set on the edge of her bed and held up her mirror.

_'Maybe I can get some answers in here'_ she thought, but before she could do anything else she heard someone pounding on her door.

"Raven, open up," Beastboy yelled. "I need to talk to you right now."

There was a sternness in his voice, but Raven decided it was best to ignore him. She had other things to worry about rather than Beastboy at the moment.

"I know you're in there Raven," Beastboy said through the door. "And if you're not going to talk to me, then you can at least listen."

Raven paused and then lowered her mirror.

"I know I've done a lot of stupid stuff in the past," Beastboy started. "But I've always admitted it and apologized."

Raven couldn't disagree with him there, as good as he was at making mistakes, he was always quick to fix them.

"Well not this time," Beastboy replied.

Raven looked up at her door with slight confusion and surprise.

"I'll apologize for embarrassing you last week and for spilling tea on you early today, but I'm not going to apologize for trying to help you," Beastboy said. "It might not have been the smartest thing to do at the time, but the only reason I did it was because..."

He paused.

"Because you're my friend Raven," he replied in a lower voice. "And that means a lot to me...only now..."

He paused again and Raven sat down her mirror with a frown as she stood up and walked closer to the door.

"...It's like we're starting all over again..." Beastboy continued, his voice returning back to normal. "And I at least deserve to know why all of a sudden you...hate me."

Those words hit Raven hard, and she felt her heart sink again.

_'I don't hate you'_ Raven thought, but she couldn't get the words to leave her mouth.

"I guess I can't really blame you," Beastboy said in a sad tone. "You probably have every right to be mad at me and I'm just too stupid to figure out why."

_'No...don't say that'_ Raven thought closing her eyes.

"Anyway...I'm just gonna go," he told her. "Since you obviously don't want to talk to me."

Raven clenched her hands in self-hatred and the lamp on her nightstand exploded.

She gasped as she looked back at it...trying to think of what was different between now and when she had tried to use her powers before. They had worked when she left the tower and before they had split up at the hotel...but they didn't work on the roof at first or when she had tried to get back home.

Then it hit her.

Beastboy.

Her powers had only worked when he was around.

She quickly slid her door open, remembering he was on the other side, but it only revealed an empty hallway...he'd already left.

After checking Beastboy's room, Raven made her way to the main room, expecting to find him there. Instead, she found Cyborg sitting behind the counter eating a sandwich.

"Hey Raven," he greeted her in a neutral tone.

"Have you seen Beastboy?" She asked.

"Yeah," Cyborg nodded with a frown. "He's outside...he looked pretty upset."

Raven looked down.

"What's goin' on with you two?" Cyborg asked.

Raven looked up.

"What do you mean?" She asked cautiously.

"You've been held up in your room almost all week," Cyborg said. "Then Beastboy makes you tea...and then there's that thing that happened on the roof today."

Raven looked away.

"Beastboy really cares about ya, Rae," Cyborg replied. "He might not always admit it, but he can't stand for you to be mad at him."

Raven continued to look away.

"So...what's goin' on?" Cyborg asked again.

"Nothing..." Raven replied in a distant voice.

Cyborg gave her a small smile.

"Yeah..." He replied. "That's what he said too."

She looked up at Cyborg.

"You said he was outside?"

Cyborg nodded.

"Thanks," and with that she left.

The sun was already beginning to set...the day coming to its end. Raven looked out over the ocean for a moment and shuddered as a cool breeze went by, wrapping her arms around herself. It didn't take her long to find Beastboy, she was certain where he'd be, where he always was when he needed to be alone or just to think. He sat there atop the rock with his knees pulled up to his chest, his arms wrapped around them to keep him balanced.

Raven took a few steps toward him and stopped when she seen his ears twitch, knowing that he was aware of her presence.

"Beastboy...," Raven began in a calm voice. "Are you okay?"

"Why? Have you decided to suddenly start caring?" Beastboy asked in a bitter yet sad tone.

Raven sighed.

_'I guess I deserve that'_ she thought to herself.

"I don't hate you Beastboy," Raven replied in a regretful voice. "...and I'm sorry for making you think that I did."

Beastboy let his legs down and looked back at her.

"Why were you so mad at me?" Beastboy asked with a confused look on his face.

Raven frowned and took a few steps forward.

"It's not you..." she replied. "I've just been having some...trouble with my emotions lately."

It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't exactly thr truth either.

"Yeah, but you seemed extra mad at me," Beastboy said.

Raven looked out onto the ocean, knowing that Beastboy deserved to hear what she was about to say, but finding the words difficult to leave her mouth.

"I know it might not seem fair, nor will it justify my behavior, but I..." she paused. "I think the reason I've been acting so mad toward you is because...I feel closer to you than I do the others."

She felt somewhat relieved after saying it, but the silence that followed, and the fear of looking up at his reaction, made the moment tense.

"So," he said out loud, and you could hear the smile in his voice. "I am your favorite."

Raven smirked, relaxing instantly as she looked up at him.

"Don't push it," She warned.

"So let me get this straight," Beastboy smirked. "Even though you've been a total jerk to me lately, I should be flattered. Gee, thanks."

"Okay, that's pushing it," Raven replied in her monotone voice as she walked closer to Beastboy.

Raven looked at him and noticed that he had a few scraps and bruises from his fight with Mammoth.

"About what happened on the roof," Raven said in a serious tone. "I'm...grateful for what you did."

Beastboy frowned and looked down.

"No, you were right, I almost got us all killed," he said sadly.

"That's not true..." Raven replied.

"Yes it is. I can't do anything right...just like early with your tea," he replied with some resentment towards himself. "I try and do something nice for you and it blows up in my face...just like everything else does."

"Beastboy don't..."

"I can't seem to do anything right," Beastboy glared at the ground and clenched his hands. "Why do have to be so stupi-"

"Stop it!" Raven yelled, getting his attention. "You're not stupid Beastboy, so stop talking about yourself like that."

Beastboy gave her a sad frown and a look that seemed to ask 'Why'. Raven could understand his confusion, after all, how many times had she told him that he was stupid in way or another in the past.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you're a genius or anything," Raven replied, earning a smile for him. "But you're not stupid."

"So..." Beastboy said, stepping down beside her. "You don't hate me, you don't think I'm stupid, and you're sorry."

"Basically," Raven replied dully.

"So.. we're cool then, right?" Beastboy asked, his face blank, waiting for Raven's response.

"Yes...we're cool," Raven replied with a small smile.

Beastboy smiled back but bigger

"...Cool."

Raven rolled her eyes..._'Over use of the word 'cool''_ she thought to herself.

The two stood there for a moment and watched the sunset.

"So, why didn't you use your powers to get away from Mammoth?" Beastboy asked, the question seeming to come from nowhere.

"Huh?"

"I was just wondering," Beastboy shrugged lightly. "Was something wrong?"

Raven nodded and decided to tell him.

"I couldn't seem to get my powers to work at first."

Beastboy gave her a worried look.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

_'Why is he always so concerned about me?'_ Raven wondered. _'Or is he like this with everyone and I just haven't noticed.'_

"I'm fine," Raven replied, "Although I had to walk home."

"You did?" he asked with a strange expression. "So are your powers like...shorting out or something."

Raven looked down and remained silent.

"Maybe you were afraid," Beastboy suggested, causing Raven to look up at him in confusion.

"What would that have to do with it?' She asked.

"Remember when you watched that scary movie a few years back?" Beastboy asked and Raven nodded reluctantly. "You were denying your fear and it caused your powers to go all crazy."

"That's true," Raven admitted. "But I learned my lesson the first time that happened...I can admit when I'm afraid."

_'Fears not the only emotion you can deny'_ Love replied.

Raven eyes narrowed slightly _'So this is your fault'_

_'I'm not the one in denial'_

_'I don't understand'_ Raven said. _'How come I only have my powers when Beastboy's around?'_

_'Love works in mysterious ways'_

"Shouldn't we tell the others?" Beastboy asked after a thoughtful pause  
"Huh?" Raven asked snapping out of her trance "Why?"

"What if we go on another mission and your powers stop working?" Beastboy asked looking at her with worried eyes. "You could get hurt...or worse."

"I'll be fine as long as you're around," Raven answer absentmindedly.

Beastboy's eyes widened slightly.

_'She...trust's me to keep her safe'_ he wondered.

Raven realized what she said and felt like blushing.

"I mean...I think this was a one time thing."

"Oh," Beastboy nodded.

"You sure you're okay?" Raven asked, noticing Beastboy tense up, but mostly wanting to change the subject.

"Huh...? Yeah I'm fine," Beastboy smiled. "I mean, you're not mad at me anymore and that's good."

"Do you need me to heal you?" Raven asked, though the question seemed awkward.

Beastboy gave her a questioning look.

"You have some bruises on your neck," Raven said. "And some scratches."

"Ah, it's no big deal," Beastboy replied. "No sense in wasting energy, especially if your powers are on the fritz."

"They're fine, and besides..." Raven said. "I owe you."

Beastboy stared at her for a moment and was about to say something when Raven interrupted.

"Think of it as my way of saying sorry," Raven said.

"Actually, It doesn't really hurt that much," Beastboy replied. "But if you want to you could...heal my hand for me."

Beastboy gave Raven a sheepish smile as he held his hand out for her to see.

A thin cut was ripped in the palm of his glove and already dried blood stained the spot around it.

Raven nodded as she placed one of her hands over his and began to heal him.

Beastboy couldn't describe how it felt, like a warm but cool tingling sensation had washed over, not only his hand, but his entire body.

"Why just your hand?" Raven asked looking up at him. The cut wasn't that bad, but it didn't look like Mammoth's doing.

Beastboy shrugged but kept his eyes down.

"Did Mammoth do this?" Raven asked, somewhat nervous.

Beastboy looked up and gave her a weak smile.

"Not exactly," he replied. "Believe it or not, a tea cup exploded in my hand."

_'Great...now I feel even more guilty'_ Raven thought with a deep frown.

"Sorry," She replied.

"Okay, no more apologizing," Beastboy said while laughing a little. "I think we've forgiven each other enough for one day."

"Heh...guess so," Raven replied.

_'Just admit Rae'_ Love said _'You like him'_

"Okay, I have an idea," Beastboy said with a big grin. "How about we go inside and get something to eat...I'm starving."

"Are you always hungry?" Raven asked with an amused stare.

"Not all the time," Beastboy replied, "Talking just builds up my appetite"

"So...you _are_ always hungry."

"Huh...hey, no fair!" Beastboy grinned.

"Actually, that does sound nice..." Raven paused looking down and then away.

"What?" Beastboy asked with a frown, wondering if he had done something wrong.

"You'll have to let go of my hand first," Raven finished.

A light blush crossed Beastboy's face as he realized he had been holding her hand this whole time. He quickly pulled it away and rubbed the back of his neck.

_'Awe, why'd you do that'_ Love whined._ 'His hand was so warm'_

"Um...yeah...my bad," Beastboy replied with an embarrassed smile. "So...tofu and tea it is then?"

Raven nodded. "If you want, I can show you how to make the tea."

Beastboy smiled, his embarrassment forgotten.

"I'd like that."

_'Just say it'_

Raven looked up at him.

"Beastboy..."

_'Tell him'_

"I..."

_'That's it'_

"I think we should go now," Raven finished with a sigh.

"Oh...okay," Beastboy replied looking confused by Raven's tone.

He grinned slyly. "I'll race you inside."

Raven gave him a strange look.

"I don't think..."

But before Raven could finish Beastboy took off.

"Last one there does the dishes," He yelled back as he made a mad dash towards the tower.

Raven smirked _'He's crazy'_ she thought ...her smirk turning into a warm smile.

_'I must be crazy too...'_ She thought as she started flying towards the tower after him _'...I like him...'_

_'Admitting it to yourself is the first step, Rae'_ Love replied, and that was enough...for now.

"Thanks for keeping me company Star," Robin said as they neared the tower. "It was nice not to have to be stuck by myself for once."

"You are welcome," Starfire replied. "I am always happy to be with you."

Robin looked away as he suppressed a blush deciding it was best to change the subject.

"I hope Beastboy and Raven aren't still fighting," Robin said. "I have no idea what happened between them, but it can't have been good."

"I am certain they will not stay upset with one another for long," Starfire replied with a small smile. "They are much too close."

"Close?" Robin asked giving her a confused look as they stopped in front of the tower.

"Yes...I do believe that they are close to one another," Starfire nodded. "Much like you and I are."

"I wouldn't say that," Robin replied doubtfully.

"Are we not friends?" Starfire asked with a frown.

"Of course we are," Robin replied, "But you're more than just a friend to me, Star, you're..."

He froze almost afraid of what he was going to say.

"Yes?" Starfire encouraged him to continue.

"Well...you're my best friend," Robin finished.

"Robin?" Starfire asked after a small pause. "Do you think that we could ever be...more than we are now?"

"More than what?" Robin asked stepping closer.

Starfire looked into his face and slowly began to lean forward.

Robin leaned forward as well...

_'Just kiss her'_ Robin mentally screamed. _'Don't think about it, just do it'_

"Look out!"

Robin jumped back to keep from getting hit as Beastboy zoomed by.

"BEASTBOY!" Robin yelled as the changeling ran off.

"Robin are you..."

Just then Raven flew by and Starfire jumped back as well.

"Was that...Raven?" Robin asked with a surprised, yet confused stare.

"Yes, I do believe so," Starfire nodded, turning towards the boy wonder. "Perhaps we should go inside before it becomes to late." Starfire suggested.

Robin nodded sadly as Starfire began to walk away.

_'I am going to kill Beastboy'_ He thought angrily to himself.

* * *

**LOL...I'm sure Robin will let Beastboy live...mainly cause I'm the writer and I'd never let that happen...**

**Don't expect me to always put RobXStar into my story's But let me know if you liked that...as for Beastboy and Raven...well...Raven may have admitted to herself that she likes him...but Beastboy himself seems sorta confused about his feelings...he's like a step behind...but he'll catch up...Please review**

**Thnx secondrate...**


	8. The sweetest sound

**YAH...I surprise me...I managed to finish most of this story in one night...I always do my best writing then. Sorry but there's no RobXStar in this chapter...it's just not my thing. I hope you enjoy this though ...**

* * *

"Okay, here's another one." Beastboy began. 

Raven sighed as she lowered her book and stared up at him from across the counter.

"I doubt that this joke will be any funnier than the rest." She stated.

"AHA!" Beastboy jumped up from his seat and pointed a finger at Raven. "So you admit that the other ones were funny."

Raven gave him a strange look before shaking her head and turning her attention back to her book.

"Just admit it," Beastboy persisted, crossing his arms over his chest. "You think I'm hilarious."

"And how exactly did you come to that conclusion?" Raven asked, turning the page in her book.

"Well...I've been telling jokes for almost half an hour now." Beastboy stated.

Raven looked up. "And not once have I laughed...giggled...or even so much as smiled."

"True," Beastboy nodded. "But you also haven't called me dumb...immature...or even yelled at me to stop, which means..."

"That you should quit while you're ahead." Raven replied in her monotone voice.

"Nope," Beastboy grinned. "It means that you secretly enjoy hearing me tell jokes, and that you think I'm funny."

Raven raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry...but no."

Beastboy frowned.

"Aww come on," He whined. "Just one more joke and if you don't think it's funny then I'll stop."

"You promise," Raven asked, peeking up from her book.

"Scouts honor," Beastboy replied, saluting her.

"Though I seriously doubt that you were ever a scout..." Raven said setting down her book. "You have my attention."

"Sweet!" Beastboy exclaimed. "There's no way you won't find this funny."

Raven looked skeptical.

Starfire, the only other person in the room, was currently filling up Silkie's food bowl near the end of the counter. She looked up at her friends and suppressed a giggle as she watched them. Beastboy was leaning over the counter, excitedly in the middle of his joke, and Raven seemed to be half listening, though the slightest sign of amusement played across her face.

_'Oh I am most happy for my friends,'_ Starfire thought as she felt Silkie tug at her leg.

She smiled down at him and set the food bowl onto one of the stools turning back around to fill up his water bowl.

"...And then the guy says 'that's not my dog, that's my wife'!"

Beastboy laughed and looked up at Raven, but her face remained neutral...not even a smile.

_'At least smile,'_ Love suggested.

_'Just because I like Beastboy, it doesn't mean I like his jokes,'_ Raven replied back...it was still strange to even admit to liking him, but denying it would be far worse. Having feelings for him, however, didn't mean she had to act upon them.

"Get it?" Beastboy asked with a hopeful smile. "The guy says..."

"Yes I get it," Raven replied shaking her head. "And that was the worst joke yet."

"Aww come on," Beastboy frowned. "Didn't you find it at least a little funny?"

"No, not at all." Raven stated, lifting her book off the table and raising it back up to read.

"Fine, I give up," Beastboy sighed in exasperation, throwing his arms up in the air. "I've tried every joke I know and nothing seems to work."

Raven frowned slightly at the disappointment in his voice and looked up.

"From now on," Beastboy said. "No more jokes."

"You can't be serious," Raven stated in disbelief.

"Well..." Beastboy replied looking uncertain, "At least, no more trying to telling you jokes."

_'Why,' _Raven thought, but it never came out...after all, remembering all the times he had annoyed her with his constant joke telling in the past, she should have been grateful.

'Then why do I feel so...sad?' she wondered.

Beastboy frowned in defeat not noticing the look of disappointment on Raven's face as he sat down on one of the nearby stools...

_Squish_.

Beastboy's eyes widened...Starfire gasped slightly...and Raven raised an eyebrow curiously.

Beastboy stood up, his expression changing from surprise to uncertainty and disgust. Slowly he turned around to check his backside and there the bowl of food Starfire had made for Silkie was spread across his bottom.

Raven looked up at Beastboy's expression and couldn't help but smirk.

Beastboy noticed this and turned towards her incredulously.

"You think this is funny?"

Raven looked away from him and shrugged, trying to suppress a smile.

"This isn't funny...this is..." Beastboy paused and looked back at Starfire. "What is this?"

"I am sorry," Starfire first apologized. "But that was to be Silkie's lunch."

At the mention of his name, Silkie popped up from Starfire's side, and upon seeing Beastboy's rear, began licking his lips.

Beastboy turned toward him and held his hands out defensively.

"No Silkie...Stay Silkie," Beastboy pleaded with a worried look on his face, slowly backing away, but Silkie immediately started to run toward him.

Beastboy turned to get away, but Silkie pounced and latched onto Beastboy's bottom.

"AHHH!" Beastboy yelled as he ran frantically around the room. "GET HIM OFF, GET HIM OFF, GET HIM OFF!"

Raven watched as Beastboy circled the room in a panicked frenzy, making his way around the counter for the third time. Starfire grabbed Silkie from behind and began to pull, though the silkworm was determined to hold on.

"Bad..Bumgorf," Starfire scolded as she pulled him. "Release.. friend Beastboy.. at once."

Then the distinct sound of ripping fabric was heard about the room, Beastboy let out a startled yelp as he fell forward and landed on the floor with a loud thump, knocking over one of the stools and a half eaten box of pizza -which had been resting on the counter.

Starfire gasped.

"Friend, are you harmed?" Starfire asked in a worried voice.

Raven stood up, also slightly concerned that the changeling might have gotten injured. Slowly and dramatically his hand raised up to grab the counter top and he pulled himself to his feet. The box of pizza that had rested on his head fell off, and a slice of pizza slide down in front of his face and onto the floor.

Beastboy blinked for a moment as if still trying to comprehend what had just happened. Finally coming to his senses, he began to rub the Pizza from his face, only succeeding in smearing the sauce even more.

Raven could feel her lips quiver into a smile, unable to contain the amusement she felt towards the situation. She covered her hand over her mouth to hide the grin and to suppress the laughter that threatened to make it's way up her throat.

Both Starfire and Beastboy heard the muffled noise and looked up at her. Both of Raven's hands were now covering her mouth as she desperately tried not to laugh. Beastboy shot her a puzzled look before noticing his exposed boxers that were covered in little red hearts. He let out a short 'eeppp' before covering his rear with both hands and blushing. Raven was also beginning to turn red from her efforts...

"Friend Raven..." Starfire began with slight concern in her voice from Raven's unusual behavior.

"Oh come on," Beastboy whined. "At least I was wearing underwear."

That was it...the final straw...Raven's hands seemed no longer willing to shield her mouth from the world and so they fell from her face as she burst into laughter.

Starfire and Beastboy jumped back in surprise as Raven laughed...her eyes closed tightly and her side beginning to ache from the unfamiliar feeling. Her cheeks turning a slight red as if she couldn't catch her breath enough to stop.

The sound of the toaster exploding seemed to snap everyone out of the trance. Raven gasped as she placed her hands over her mouth again with wide eyes. Starfire and Beastboy looked back at the toaster and then to Raven.

"That was...most unexpected." Starfire replied.

"You...you laughed," Beastboy said still in awe, not believing what he had just seen and heard.

Raven kept her hands over her mouth as she felt herself blush.

Slowly a huge grin spread across Beastboy's face, like nothing Raven had ever seen before. It didn't matter that he was covered in pizza sauce or that his uniform was ripped...because Raven had laughed...long and hard.

Raven looked down, feeling her friend's eyes upon her and slowly she retracted her hand.

"I...I need to go," She said, her voice slightly above a whisper as she turned and headed quickly towards the door.

"Raven wait...it's okay," Beastboy called to her, but Raven disappeared.

Beastboy frowned for a moment.

"Why do you always run away," he whispered, but slowly the frowned disappeared from his face as he recalled Ravens laughter.

"Friend, perhaps you should do the...changing," Starfire said from behind, blushing slightly from the sight of Beastboy's exposed boxers.

"Huh?...Oh right," Beastboy replied turning around to face Starfire and hide his backside.

He smiled sheepishly as he backed towards the door.

_Swoosh_

The sound of the door opening behind him caused him to freeze.

"Uh...Beastboy." came Robin's voice.

Cyborg's laughter followed. "Man what did we miss?" he asked

Robin chuckled.

Beastboy's face lit up and he turned towards his friends, any kind of embarrassment forgotten.

"Dudes, you won't believe it!" He exclaimed.

"You're probably right." Robin replied with a smirk.

"But I can't wait to hear about it." Cyborg chuckled.

Beastboy took a deep breath.

"Okay, I was trying to get Raven to laugh and I was all like 'one more joke and then I'm done'...and so I told her a really good one and she was all like 'that's the worst joke ever'...so I was like 'I give up'... and then I sat down, but ended up sitting on Silkie's food bowl and so I stood up and was like 'what is this' and Starfire's like 'Silkie's lunch' and then Silkie just ups and attacks me, and I'm all like 'aaahhh', and then Starfire grabs him and pulls him off, but my uniform rips and I fall and knock over the pizza which fell on my head, and then when I got up Raven covered her mouth and I'm thinking 'Oh no she's embarrassed cause she saw my boxers' so I try and hide them and I tell her 'well at least I wore underwear today' and that's when the most unbelievable thing happened," Beastboy exclaimed trying to catch his breath.

Robin and Cyborg blinked, not quiet sure they caught all of the story due to Beastboy speed...they looked up at Starfire, who simply nodded.

"Well...what happened?" Robin asked, almost afraid that Beastboy would go off again.

"Yeah man...I mean that whole story sounds unbelievable to me." Cyborg gave a questioning stare as he smiled.

"Dude, you won't believe it," Beastboy repeated. "Even I don't."

"Seriously Beastboy," Robin replied. "What happened?"

Beastboy gave a big grin.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked.

"Would you just get on with it," Cyborg said, getting agitated .

"Raven...the one and only...Ms. Rarely-Smiles...always calm...actually laughed. at. me." Beastboy said dramatically, "And not just a little laugh, a big laugh, so hard that the toaster exploded."

The two titans blinked in surprise.

"Dude, you serious?" Cyborg asked.

Beastboy nodded.

"You guys should have heard it..." he replied eagerly. "It was amazing, it was..."

'Beautiful'

The thought seemed to drift across his mind so distinctively that he could not dismiss it. The sound of Ravens laughter was undeniably beautiful...it was perfect.

Beastboy's excitement settled down and a warm fond feeling seemed to over take him. He felt his face break into a dreamy smile, now trying desperately to cling to ever moment that had seemed to go by so quickly before; the way her checks had blushed and her eyes had squinted shut...the way her laughter had been filled with softness and power all at the same time...and that feeling that, even if just for that one moment, he had made her happy.

"Beastboy?"

"Huh...what...?" Beastboy asked looking up at Robin, who had just adressed him.

"You just kinda zoned out there for a second," Cyborg replied.

"Oh...right," Beastboy nodded slipping past the two and walking away.

"Yo, Bb? Where ya go'in?" Cyborg asked.

"Uh...gotta change my clothes." Beastboy yelled back.

Cyborg smirked

"Nice hearts Man!" he yelled, and him and Robin laughed as Beastboy covered his rear with his hands again and disappeared down the hall.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Raven sighed as she looked out onto the ocean from her spot on the roof.

She had always been good at hiding her emotions...she had excelled at it...perfected it, but somehow it had broken through today. The only time that ever happened was when one emotion dominated the others -such as Rage when she got very angry.

In order for her not be able to control something as simple as 'laughter' would mean that each of her emotions would have had to find what happened funny.

Raven looked down, it was funny, there was no denying it, especially now...so why did it feel so wrong to laugh in front of her friends, in front of Beastboy, who had always tried so hard to get her to do just that.

There was a small and timid voice in the back of her mind answering her question, but she didn't want to believe that there was truth to the words.

_'If we laugh...he might stop trying,'_ Timid said.

_'He was already going to stop,'_ Raven replied.

_'Then why hide it?' _Happy asked, _'That's just silly!' _

_'She's right,'_ Knowledge agreed. _'there's no sense to it.' _

Raven sighed and closed her eyes to rub her temples.

"Hey, Raven," came Beastboy voice from behind her.

She jumped and looked over at him as he made his way to stand beside her.

"Beastboy..." Raven replied, uncertain as to what she wanted to say. He smiled over at her.

"I was thinking..." he said.

Raven opened her mouth to say something but Beastboy intervened.

"Yeah I know. It's a shocker," he mocked himself.

Raven gave him an amused look.

"I wasn't going to say that."

"You weren't?" He asked, surprised.

"No," she shook her head. "I was going to say 'That's new'."

Beastboy smirked and Raven turned her head away.

"Why did you leave?" Beastboy asked, more seriousness in his voice.

"I was...embarrassed," Raven admitted with a frown.

"Why?" Beastboy asked. "I was the one with a face full of pizza sauce and my underwear showing...besides..." Beastboy paused and looked the other way.

"You...you have a very pretty laugh." he mumbled slightly.

Raven felt that now familiar feeling bubble in the pits of her stomach and her face flush ever so slightly.

"You think it's pretty," Raven asked softly, looking at Beastboy from the corner of her eyes.

A warm smile played across his face as he nodded.

"Is that what you were thinking?" She asked.

Beastboy nodded again and then stopped.

"Uh...well yeah and no..." he said turning to face her. "I was thinking that, but that's not the only thing...and it's not what I was going to say...I just..."

Raven put her hand up for him to stop.

"I get it" she replied. "Now go ahead and tell me what it is you want."

_'Ouch,'_ Love replied. _'A little harsh, don't you think?'_

"Sorry," Raven's expression softened as she looked at Beastboy. "I'm listening...go ahead."

Beastboy seemed to pause and study her for a second.

"Ya know..." he began. "You were laughing pretty hard in there and pretty much nothing happened."

Raven realized where the conversation was headed and looked away.

"I don't understand..." Beastboy continued. "When you told me your emotions were more powerful, I figured that meant they were not only harder to control, but also more dangerous."

Raven nodded slightly.

"Is that true," Beastboy asked. "Or are you allowed to express them without something really bad happening"?

Raven paused, but knew she couldn't lie...Beastboy already knew the truth anyway and was just waiting for an answer.

"Yes,..I can."

"Then why..."

"I just don't know how." Raven answered before Beastboy finished the question. She closed her eyes, as if to block everything out.

"What do you mean?" Beastboy asked.

"I've spent so much time learning how to control my emotions..." Raven began in a sad tone, "That I'm just not sure how to express them anymore."

A slight chuckle from Beastboy caused her to glare over at him.

"That's not funny," She snapped.

"Sorry..." Beastboy apologized with a smile. "It's just that...you'll never learn how to show emotions if you keep trying to hide them."

Ravens glare vanished.

"Raven, if something makes you sad then cry..." Beastboy replied, taking a step towards her. "If you're angry, yell. I know you can do that."

Raven smirked some and he stepped closer.

"If you're happy, smile..." Beastboy paused, then smirked. "And if you think the sight of my underwear and pizza covered face is funny...then laugh."

Raven smiled softly and looked down.

"You make it sound so easy," She said after some time.

"It is," Beastboy replied. "You just need some practice."

Raven made a 'hmm' sound as she looked down at the ground, and Beastboy couldn't help but smile at her thoughtful expression.

"So..." he said with a sly smile. "Do you really think I'm funny?"

Raven looked over at him condescendingly.

"Come on, Raven." Beastboy whined. "No way are you going to tell me that I'm not funny."

Raven sighed and turned towards him.

"Okay Beastboy, I'm only saying this once, so listen and listen closely."

Beastboy nodded eagerly and Raven sighed again.

"Yes Beastboy...I think you're funny."

"But not those jokes you tell." she added.

"Do you mean I look funny then...or smell funny..." Beastboy asked with a confused stare.

Raven closed her eyes with a sigh and shook her head.

"DUDE, are you saying I'm gay?!" Beastboy asked, looking outraged.

"What!" Raven exclaimed looking up. "No Beastboy, not like that."

_'Thank Azar,' _Love piped in.

"Oh," Beastboy said calmly. "Then what."

"Some of the things you say...and the way you act," she mumbled. "You're a lot funnier when you're not trying to be."

"I am?" Beastboy asked, "How do I do that?"

Raven looked up at him, gently.

"Just be yourself."

_'Just be myself...'_ Beastboy thought .

Raven frowned as Beastboy looked down in deep thought.

"What if ...I'm not sure who I am." Beastboy asked.

"I can help you there," Raven replied as Beastboy looked up at her.

"You can?" He asked and Raven nodded.

"You're Beastboy."

Beastboy smirked. "Way to be descriptive," he replied.

"Okay then," Raven said. "You never run from a fight, you're always more concerned about your friends than you are yourself, you seem to find the humor in even the worst situations, you're faithful to those you care about, you're smart even if you don't act it sometimes, you're funny, but you'll smile even when you're hurting inside."

Raven paused and her voice lowered some.

"And you're…my best friend."

Though surprised by Raven's rather specific description of him, Beastboy smiled kindly at her, feeling more than a little honored that Raven thought that much of him. Beastboy knew that she didn't hate him, but for her to say that he was her best friend, well, that meant the world to him.

He looked at her and smiled softly.

"I thought you were only going to tell me I was funny once."

Raven rolled her eyes.

"Come on," she replied turning to walk away. "Lets go inside. It's getting late."

"Whatever you say," Beastboy shrugged, catching up with her.

"Oh...I almost forgot," Beastboy said.

Raven looked back at him questioningly and he grinned.

"You're my best friend too, Rae."

"It's Raven," she replied softly, though her smiled seemed to suggest that she didn't mind.

"Yeah, I know," Beastboy nodded and Raven shook her head and turned back around.

_'What are you wanting for?'_ came the voice in Beastboy's head. _'She's yours for the taking...' _

Beastboy stopped walking and frowned angrily.

_'Shut up!'_ Beastboy mentally screamed. _'Raven's my friend and...' _

_'She's more than that and you know it,' _the voice snarled back.

"Beastboy?" Raven asked, looking back. "Are you coming or not?"

"Yeah..." Beastboy said, "You go ahead and," he paused, still frowning. "I'll catch up."

Raven nodded with a slightly concerned look and then turned to leave.

Once he was sure he was alone, Beastboy sighed.

"Okay Beastboy, calm down," he told himself. "You were not just having an argument with yourself over Raven."

Beastboy frowned as he looked down at the ground. Raven had been making him feel really strange lately, but not exactly in a bad way. Actually, the feeling was really nice. He couldn't quite place it though, almost like he..

He shook his head and grinned to himself. "No, I can't. Raven and I are just...just friends."

_'Just friends'_ he frowned with slight doubt. _'Right?'_

"I mean, she's a great person and all- she's smart and understanding, she cares about her friends..." he said to himself. "She's even funny, not to mention easy to talk to, and a lot of fun to be around lately, and of course beautiful..."

Beastboy paused and his eyes widened.

"Oh, man...I, I like her, don't I?"

He paused again, the panic that had jolted through him slowly easing.

"Is there something wrong with that?" he wondered out loud.

An image of Raven flashed before his eyes, the memory of her kind words echoed through his head, and the feeling of warmth that he felt when near her returned.

"No." he replied with a goofy smile. "Nothings wrong with that."

* * *

**Owwww...Now Beastboy knows how he feels about Raven...what will happen next...I'm not sure ...I make this stuff up as I go along...Hehe.**

**Thank you secondrate...you did a great job fixing my mistakes...I appreciate it...**

**Everyone please review.**


	9. A Rose by any other name'

**When I think about how many times I started over and changed things in this chapter my head wants to explode. I had such a hard time unil finally the idea really struck me and everything just flowed.**

**I really hope it doesn't seem to OOC...But feelings are beginning to develop between the two and that does change a person...so bare with me.**

**All in all it turned out better then I thought it would. Enjoy**

* * *

Beastboy sat behind the kitchen counter and stared down into his half empty glass of soymilk. His head rested lazily in the palm of his hand, his elbow propped up on the table, and his other hand gribbed loosely around the glass. 

His body felt heavy and tired, but his mind was alert, making it impossible for him to sleep, despite it still being quite early. He had spent a great deal of time in his room, staring up at the cieling before abandoning his futile attempt to loose consciousness and heading down to the main room.

_Restless._

It was the perfect word in describing how he felt.

He sighed and took a sip from his glass, tensing slightly when his ears picked up the sound of moving footsteps. It was still very early and it surprised him that anyone else would be up.

He closed his eyes to focus on the sound; they were in the next hallway, still making there way towards the main room. There was the low but distinct sound of a cape, the hems swaying as the person in question walked forward.

_Robin. _

That was his first thought. It seemed very likely that the boy wonder would be up; no doubt already planning on an early exercise routine for the rest of the team. Beastboy nearly groaned at the thought as he leaned back in his seat, but the sound of still approaching footsteps caused him to pause. His brow furrowed in concentration- the footsteps were soft, too soft to be Robin's.

_Raven. _

Beastboy's face relaxed and he smiled, the sweet sent of lavender already making its way into the room before the door behind him even opened.

_Swoosh_

Beastboy's heart jumped slightly and his eyes flew open, though the rest of his body seemed unable to react.

He heard her take a few steps forward before stopping - after all, he was never up before anyone else, and so it must have surprised her.

He turned his head around and flashed her a smile.

"Morning Rae."

Her features softened noticably before becoming nuetral again.

"You're up early," She said, walking over towards him.

Beastboy blinked for a moment, surprised that she hadn't told him to call her 'Raven'.

"You too," he replied, then he paused with uncertainty. "At least, I think you are. Do you always get up at this time?"

"It's almost five in the morning," Raven said, putting a pot of tea on the stove and turning to face him. "I may not be normal, but even I don't get up this early everyday."

Beastboy smiled.

"So. What's up?"

Raven raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, why are you up then?" Beastboy asked, feeling a little uneasy.

"Couldn't get back to sleep," Raven replied with a shrug. "And you?"

"Uh, yeah. I mean, no, I couldn't either," He smiled sheepishly.

Raven nodded and turned her attention back to her tea. Beastboy inwardly sighed as he looked down into his glass.

Ever since he realized his feelings for Raven, he couldn't help but be a little nervous around her.

_'She probably thinks I'm a complete dork'_ Beastboy thought sadly. _'Why can't I just-'_

"Mind if I join you?" came Raven's voice from above him.

Beastboy's head snapped up in attention and he straightened his posture as he looked at her. She held a steaming cup of tea in her hands as she gestured to the seat in front of him.

"Yeah, absolutely Rae," Beastboy said excitedly.

Raven gave a small nod as she sat down, sipping her tea, and seeming to find the counter top very fascinating.

However, while Raven seemed unwilling to look up at changeling, Beastboy was unable to look away from her.

Her hair fell down to one side of her face, while the other side was tucked neatly behind her ear. He almost felt the urge to reach over and tuck the rest of her hair back, just to get a better look at her face. He blushed at the thought, and instantly put his hands down on his lap.

_'What should I say?'_ Beastboy asked himself.

He felt uncomfortable in the silence, but couldn't find any words. He knew that this was a rare opportunity, though. When would he get another chance like this with Raven?

"Um...Rae?"

Raven finally looked up, seeming startled, but also relieved.

"I was just wondering."

"Yes?"

_'Just say something,'_ his mind panicked. _'Anything!' _

"You do realize that I've called you 'Rae' like three times already, don't you?" he asked, instantly cursing himself for bringing up something so stupid.

Raven raised an eyebrow slightly before nodding, and Beastboy's tense expression became one of curiosity and confusion.

"And you're okay with that?" he asked. "Aren't you angry?"

"Do you want me to be?" Raven asked, not sure why Beastboy was making a big deal out of the situation.

"No, I don't," He replied quickly. "I just thought you didn't like it, 'cause you usually get mad at me when I say it, and so I was just wondering-"

"It's okay," Raven said.

"Really?" he asked, surprised. "I can call you Rae?"

Raven nodded again.

"Cool!" Beastboy replied in a cheerful voice. "Thanks, Rae Rae."

Raven frowned and folded her arms.

"It's either 'Raven' or 'Rae'," she said with a disapproving glance. "Not Rae Rae."

"How 'bout Ravey?" Beastboy asked, realizing he was making things worse, but just couldn't help himself.

"You really don't know when to quit, do you Garfield?" Raven replied, a slight smirk playing across her lips as she used his real name.

Beastboy froze.

He was never called by that name anymore, and even though Raven had claimed upon discovering it that she would use it against him, she had never done so until now.

_'Garfield' _

Beastboy was torn between what he was feeling at the moment; embarrassment, shame, hurt, and sadness.

_'It's just a name.'_ Beastboy thought.

_'It's everything you use to be...'_ A deeper voice replied.

_'That's not true'_

_'And everything you still are...'_ it continued.

Beastboy glared at the counter top. _'Shut Up' _

_**'Pathetic' **_

Beastboy could feel his anger building up inside of him, his hands, now placed on top of the counter, balled into fists.

"Beastboy?" Raven asked, cautiously.

He looked up into her eyes, filled with concern and confusion, and his anger melted away.

He sighed.

"Sorry...I just kinda spaced out," he said with a weak smile.

_'Maybe I shouldn't have called him that'_ She thought.

_'I'm sure he's not mad at you Rae'_ Love told her. _'But maybe there's something you could do to make him feel better'_

After a thoughtful pause, Raven sighed.

"Rachel Roth."

Beastboy gave her a confused and questioning stare, as she looked back at him.

"It's my real name." She told him.

Beastboy smiled.

"Really?"

"That's just between us though," Raven stated, sipping her tea and then sending Beastboy a mock-glare. "If you tell the others, I will destroy you."

"Why? I think it's nice" Beastboy replied still smiling. "A whole lot better than Garfield"

Raven smiled slightly; glad he was using his real name so lightly, but also wondering why it had upset him before.

"I still prefer Raven," she said. "So lets just keep it at that."

"Okay, Raven it is then." he replied with a smile, "Or Rae."

"Besides," Raven said, looking to the other side of the room. "Garfield's a nice name"

Beastboy smirked.

"Aw, you're just saying that to make me feel better," he replied with a fake pout.

Raven smiled briefly, but didn't look back up at him.

"So?"

There was a long pause in which Beastboy's facial expression become blank before easing into a soft smile.

"Thanks Rae," he said, his voice low.

Suddenly that moment seemed to mean so much more to him, and he knew that he wouldn't soon forget it. It was like looking at everything from another persons perspective - sitting there talking to Raven, enjoying each others company, it was special.

"Raven?" Beastboy asked in a calm and even voice.

Raven looked up, finally tucking the rest of her hair behind her ear, which only made that moment even better.

"I..,I like this," He told her with a warm smile

The smile on his face was softer than his usual grin, more genuine, and she liked that about it. Raven smiled softly back ,understanding what he meant and admiring the moment.

"Me too." she replied.

Again, Beastboy felt the urge to reach over and put his hand on top of hers. he blushed and looked down, and Raven turned her head away. After a few more minutes of this, Beastboy stood up and walked into the kitchen area, sending Raven a sideways smile as he passed her.

"Hungry?" He asked, one hand already gripping the refrigerators handle.

Though Raven appreciated the offer, she really wasn't all that hungry and was about to decline when 'Love' piped in.

_'Don't say no Rae'_ Love warned. '_It's so nice of him to ask' _

Raven paused.

"A little" She replied with slight uncertainty.

Beastboy smiled and opened the fridge. His eyes caught the sight of leftover steak and for some reason his mouth began to water.

_'Looks good,'_ The voice replied. _'I'm starving'_

Beastboy swallowed a large about of saliva and shuddered.

"Tofu?" he asked, calling back to Raven.

"How many times must I tell you?" Raven asked in a dull tone.

"Yeah, yeah I know," Beastboy waved his hand at her dismissively. "You respect that I don't eat meat, so I should respect that you don't eat fake meat."

Raven smirked.

_'So he does listen'_ she thought

"Hey, what's this?" Beastboy asked, reaching into the fridge and pulling out what looked to be a very large round jello mold.

Beastboy lifted it with slight difficulty and placed it on the counter. Upon closer inspection the green colored jello seemed to be filled with various kitchen ingredients, none of which looked appetizing.

"Looks like another one of Starfire's creations," Raven commented.

"Dude, what was she thinking?" Beastboy asked, examining the blob from all different angles. "there's a whole potato in there."

"You should put it back," Raven instructed, getting the feeling that Beastboy was about to do something stupid.

"I'm just looking," Beastboy replied.

Raven sighed and shook her head.

"One minute you're looking and the next you're..." She looked up as Beastboy began to poke at it, "...touching it"

"Cool," Beastboy exclaimed. "It's like rubber!"

"Beastboy..."

"Come on Raven, touch it," Beastboy said, sliding the green blob down the counter towards her.

Raven stood u., "Beastboy this isn't a good idea and-"

"Just touch it and I'll put it right back," Beastboy insisted. "Please"

Raven sighed.

"Okay, but you better put it back."

Beastboy nodded.

Raven looked at the disgusting blob and then lifted her finger to poke it, feeling significantly stupid as she did so.

"Wow, how exciting," Raven replied in a dull and sarcastic voice.

Raven stopped as the blob began to emit a low gurgling noise. Both her and Beastboy looked questioningly at the thing as it began to expand.

"Uh...is it suppose to do that?" Beastboy asked.

Raven and Beastboy backed up some as the blob continued to grow in size...

"It's going to BLOW!" Beastboy yelled, grabbing Raven's arm and pulling her away. He turned his body to face Raven's and shield her from the substance, they both closed there eyes and-

_BOOM! _

Slowly Beastboy and Raven opened their eyes and stared up at each other. Blushing slightly, Beastboy let go of Raven's arms and took a few steps back.

"Heh, my bad," He said, grinning sheepishly. "Guess I should have put it back when you told me to...huh."

"You think?" Raven replied dully.

Beastboy rubbed the back of his neck, then stopped.

"Ugh, gross," he replied, bringing his hand back around to examine the goo that now covered his back.

"Why is it always me?" he asked himself as he shook the goo off.

Raven smirked- tofu, pizza sauce, goo, it was always him.

"In any case, you did manage to keep me clean," Raven said, now trying to give him some encouragement.

Beastboy smiled.

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?" Beastboy said feeling proud of himself. "Which means you owe me."

"Owe you?" Raven asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, " Beastboy replied looking down with a slight blush. "In movies when the hero saves the girl, she usually gives him a..um..kiss."

Beastboy, still looking down at the ground, failed to see the look of surprise on Raven's face.

_'I can't believe I just said that'_ Beastboy thought. _'She's so going to slap me now.'_

Several things went through Ravens mind at once, everything she could say to avoid the situation_ - 'You watch to many movies' _or_ 'so now you're a hero_' maybe '_Do I look like a damsel in distress_'

However, none of that came out, and her logic and fear were replaced by the desire to feel his lips pressed against hers.

"...Okay" Raven replied in a soft voice.

Beastboy looked up, eyes wide as he realized that Raven was serious.

_'Am I still dreaming'_ he wondered.

He relaxed suddenly as they leaned towards each other, their eyes closing and their lips connecting. It was clumsy at first, unsure, but slowly the kiss gained confidence.

Raven felt a tingling sensation run down her spine as Beastboy placed his hand tentatively on her waist. Raven then lifted one of her hands to lie on his chest.

There was no way for Beastboy to describe how right it felt to be kissing her, to be touching her. All his senses seemed to be working overtime, everything was better.

Reluctantly they began to pull apart, but Beastboy kept his eyes closed for just a few more seconds, almost afraid that it was all just a dream and he'd wake up

Finally he opened his eyes and looked at Raven, their hands still in place and their breathing heavy.

Beastboy seemed frozen in place, though his body still felt the rush it had received from the kiss. His heart was beating wildly in his chest and he was certain that Raven could hear it.

_'More' _The voice in Beastboy's head demanded, and although he was tempted, he refused to ruin this moment between them.

"Rae..." Beastboy whispered.

Raven began to look uncertain as she slowly pulled away and stepped back, all the courage she had managed to muster up during the kiss having vanished.

"The others will be up soon," She said looking away. "We should clean this mess up."

Beastboy blinked, surprised and confused as Raven walked pass him. She stood in front of the counter with her back turned towards him, staring down.

"Uh...Raven?" Beastboy replied. "Don't you think we should talk about what just happened"

Raven tensed slightly, turning her head to the side, as if to further alienate herself from him.

The only thing flashing across her mind at the moment was that she was scared. Afraid that she was on the edge of something fragile, that she may accidently break if she wasn't careful.

She wanted to run, to disappear, but something kept her frozen in place. She was always running from her feelings, she was a coward despite how others believed her to be brave, but something refused to let her leave.

"Rae?" Beastboy tried again, starting to feel insecure.

_'What if it was a mistake,' _he thought.

His heart sank down into his stomach and his face paled slightly.

_'Oh man,'_ his mind panicked. _'Did I just ruin our friendship?' _

He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and tried to calm himself.

"S-sorry," he said.

Raven looked back, frowning at the tone in his voice.

_'Please don't say that,'_ she thought.

"Beastboy..."

"I shouldn't have kissed you like that." he said, staring down at the floor.

"I kissed you too," Raven reminded him.

"O-kay, so it's both our faults." he tried to smile, but it was obviously forced.

Raven took a few steps forward, looking at him carefully.

"Beastboy, are you sorry that you kissed me?" She asked.

_'No.' _

_'Never.' _

"I'm sorry if it messed up things between us," Beastboy replied as he looked down.

Raven thought for a moment and gave a slight nod.

"But I'm not sorry that it happened," Beastboy stated.

_'I can't believe I said that'_ Beastboy thought. _'When will I learn to just shut up.' _

Raven stared at him for a moment, knowing that she still had the opportunity to back out. But did she want to? Calming herself, she stepped forward.

"Me neither."

Beastboy's eyes widened as he looked up at her.

"But you said...and then I thought, but," Beastboy stopped and looked confused. "Okay, this doesn't make any sense at all."

_'Tell me about it'_ Raven silently agreed.

"So, what should we do now?" Beastboy asked.

_'Yeah. What now, Raven?'_ she asked herself.

Raven looked around at the goo covering the counter, floor, and ceiling and then turned back towards him.

"I'll get a rag and you get the mop." She replied.

Beastboy raised an eyebrow. "O-Kay"

'_Are all girls this weird, or is it just Raven' _he wondered as he watched her bend over to retrieve a rag from under the sink.

_'Hold on, did she just admit to wanting to kiss me' _he asked himself, _'Does that mean she likes me?' _

Raven stood back up, a dishtowel in hand.

"I'm going to need a bigger rag," she said, looking at the mess once more before turning towards Beastboy, who was still standing there slightly dazed.

"I know you don't like cleaning," She replied. "But I am not doing this by myself."

Beastboy shook his head and returned from his stupor.

"Oh, right" he smiled running over to the supply closet and getting out a mop. Dashing back he jumped in front of Raven and saluted her.

"Garfield Logan. Reporting for duty ma'am," he replied, expecting her to roll her eyes at him.

Instead she gave a small yet amused smile.

"Well what are you waiting for soldier," Raven replied. Although it felt childish, she couldn't help herself. "This mess isn't going to clean itself."

_'I can't believe I just said that' _she thought.

Beastboy grinned, thoroughly enjoying the fact that Raven was playing along.

"Ma'am, yes, Ma'am," Beastboy saluted, flopping the mop down on the floor.

Raven rolled her eyes this time.

_'You have to draw the line somewhere' _

"Okay Garfield," She said. "I think that's enough."

Beastboy's heart jumped at how fondly Raven had mentioned his name. It didn't feel like it had before. This time, it made him feel...special.

Raven noticed Beastboy tense up and frowned.

"Does it bother you?" She asked. "Using your real name?"

Beastboy looked up and gave her a small smile.

"Not the way you say it, Rachel."

Raven felt her face blush slightly and she opened her mouth to correct him.

"It's..."

"...Beautiful" Beastboy finished.

_Swoosh_

Raven and Beastboy both looked over as Robin entered the room.

The leader glanced around at the mess with wide eyes before focusing on the two.

"Okay, what happened?" He asked, not seeming all that mad, though it was probably because he'd just gotten up.

Beastboy and Raven exchanged embarrassed glances then looked back at Robin.

"Y'see, it's a funny story..."

* * *

**Okay take a moment to soak it all in...**

**Yep...there it is...I think I took a pretty big step in this chapter...well...at least fo me...I've been dragging my readers along for quiet some time and I'm sure more than a few people are starting to get bored and wonder 'When are they just going to get togther!'**

**Anyhow...now that summers over there's not much time to do anything anymore and right now it's a battle between work school and my love for fanfiction. **

**LOL...on a lighter note...I actually had a dream where I posted this and got some really bad reviews...further supporting the fact that I have no life. Anyone else dream about fanfiction?...lol.**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH secondrate For fixing this chapter up for me...You helped make the ending a lot better...feel free to add improvements the next time I send ya something...**


	10. This feeling

**Howdy...I'm very excited about posting this one...and I hope I didn't make my readers wait to long...**

**I'd like to give an extra special thnx to secondrate for not only helping with my spelling and grammar mistakes but also spicing up my fighting scene...THANK YOU...I loved your improvements...I often have trouble phrasing those kind of things...I'm more of a dialoge person (?) I think.**

**Anywho... enough rambling...Time to get to the story. Squeels**

**_-gets into serious mode-_**

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Combat practice was perhaps one of the most uninteresting parts of the day, at least if you're Beastboy. Robin, however, actually found it to be enjoyable, for whatever reason, Beastboy could only guess. As the boy wonder beamed with anticipation upon entering the room, Beastboy sighed. What probably bothered him the most was that they had to practice inside rather then outside because of recent temperature changes. He never really liked the cold and he understood Robin's argument that training outdoors at this time would be dangerous to the team's health, but he simply hated being confined to this one room. Though most would find that it had plenty of space suitable for exercise, Beastboy couldn't help but feel somewhat constricted by the four walls and the silence that seemed to linger upon them.

Beastboy sighed and stretched lazily, the other titans also beginning to warm up for their daily workout.

He paused suddenly as his eyes caught sight of Raven.

_'Training does have its perks,'_ he thought.

It had been exactly a week since they had kissed, and each day had added to his feelings of excitement and nervousness. The last week had been somewhat awkward between them anyway- Passing each other in the hall, only to have their hands brush up against each other, both blushing and pretending not to have noticed. Beastboy wasn't sure how much longer he could stand to avoid it, and he only hoped that he'd have worked up the courgae to ask her out soon.

But how would he do it?

_'Hey Raven, what's up? Wanna catch a movie Friday?'_

Beastboy shook his head at the thought, certain that he would be anything but smooth when the moment arrived.

He smiled, completely forgetting that he was suppose to be stretching, and instead, just stood there as he stared over at Raven.

Raven looked up, almost sensing his gaze, and their eyes met. Beastboy gave a sheepish grin as he hesitantly let one of his hands rub the back of his neck. He gave her a small nervous wave with his other hand, blushing lightly and looking down to continue his stretching.

Raven smiled some and fought off a blush.

_'He was watching us,'_ Love said in excitement.

_'He's so funny when he's embarrassed,' _Happy giggled.

The two emotions had soon become good friends.

Despite this, Raven was more confused than anything else. She was certain that Beastboy had feelings for her,- aside from just enjoying the kiss they had shared- but he had yet to make a single move toward her since. Beastboy wasn't the most patient of people either, so she couldn't help but wonder if his hesitation was her own fault. She had been a little distant at first, but only because she had needed time to sort through some of her own emotions; she didn't want them to cloud her judgment.

She knew that the feelings she had for Beastboy were not going away anytime soon though, so what else could she do, but wait?

_'Why don't you just try talking to him,'_ Love advised, '_Maybe it would be easier for him to ask us out.'_

_'I don't know what to say.'_

_'Tell him how cute he is!'_ Happy giggled, _'Then give him a big hug.'_

_'Not exactly my style.'_ Raven mused dryly.

_''Put him in a head lock,'_ Bravery smirked, _'And don't let him out until he agrees on a date'_

_'We want him to like us, not fear us.'_ knowledge sighed.

_'Maybe I should meditate some more'_ Raven thought, exhausted.

"Friend Raven...?"

Raven jumped, startled, but then looked calmly over at her friend.

"Yes Starfire?" she asked.

"I am wondering..." Starfire said, pausing for a moment. "Perhaps when we are finished with training we might venture to the mall of shopping?"

Raven stared for a moment and inwardly groaned. Shopping with Starfire, though no longer unbearable, still wasn't exactly her idea of fun. She would much rather spend her free time reading or meditating or...

_'Looking at Beastboy,'_ Love finished.

Raven studied Starfire's hopeful expression and remembered the numerous times she had declined the offer. She and Starfire were very different people, but they were still friends. Raven was grateful for the moments when they shared, what Starfire called, 'The sisterly bonding', even if she never admitted to it. Raven inwardly sighed, and remembered that she had promised herself to be more open, and that didn't mean just towards Beastboy, but her other friends as well.

"Sure Star," Raven replied in a slightly lower, but still monotone, voice.

Starfire's eyes lit up and she squealed in delight before engulfing Raven in a tight hug.

"Okay.. Starfire," Raven grunted. "That's enough."

"Oh, I apologize friend," Starfire replied, stepping back. "I am just so excited that we will be spending the day of shopping together."

"Day?" Raven asked raising an eyebrow. "Starfire, I never agreed to spend the whole day there."

Starfire's bright smile became smaller.

"Perhaps then, a few hours or so?"

Raven inwardly grinned.

"Sure." Raven nodded, "But I'm not trying on anything pink."

"Agreed," Starfire nodded, still looking very excited as she went back to continue stretching.

_'It might not be so bad,'_ her mind reasoned.

_'Maybe we could benifit from one of Starfire's girl talks.'_ Knowledge mused.

Raven sighed, some outside advise might be nice -for a change.

"Okay team, Warm ups are over," Robin called. "Time to get to work."

Each of the titans nodded, about to take to their usual training activities.

Beastboy decided that he would do some running first, but, before he could make his way over to the machine, Robin stopped him.

"Uh, Robin," Beastboy said, looking at his friend questioningly. "I can't exactly start training if you're in my way, Dude."

"Actually, Beastboy," Robin replied, a strange sort of smile on his face. "I was thinking of letting you do something a little different today."

"Like what?" Beastboy asked perplexed.

"I think some hand to hand combat would be good." Robin told him.

Beastboy blinked for a few moments, not believeing he had heard Robin right.

"You mean with you?" He asked.

"You haven't sparred with anyone in quite some time," Robin reminded him.

"Uh.."

Beastboy gave a weak smile as he nervously began to fidget with his hands. He remembered the last time the two had tried hand-to-hand combat and he was still embarrassed.

When Robin had first told Beastboy about sparring, he had advised him not to use his powers. Of course, Beastboy didn't really see the point; knowing that his powers were the root of his strength to begin with. Robin had explained to him that a time might occur when he would unable to use them, and would then need to use basic self defense. It was also true that training his human form would help improve the speed and duration of his transformations.

At the time, Beastboy had been excited by the thought of sparring against his leader, but during the fight he had barely blocked any of Robin's attacks and hadn't landed a single punch of his own.

After that, knowing how disappointed Beastboy was with his preformance, Robin had told him to continue improving on the skills that he already possessed before trying something new. Beastboy, however, figured it was just his way of saying that he had done an awful job and Robin wasn't interested in sparing with him again.

Either way, here they were.

"I dunno..." Beastboy said. "I'm still kinda sore from the last time."

Robin shook his head as Beastboy smiled nervously.

"That was a long time ago," Robin replied meeting Beastboy's gaze. "You've come a long way since then, and I think you're ready to try it again."

"You do?" Beastboy asked, somewhat disbelievingly, "Really?"

Robin nodded.

_'He really thinks I can do this'_

"If you say so," Beastboy replied still a little unsure.

"Good." Robin said. "You remember the rules, don't you?"

"Yeah," Beastboy nodded. "No weapons, no powers, fight fair, but don't..um.."

"Don't hold back," Robin finished taking off his utility belt and smiling up at the changeling. "I want your best Beastboy."

Beastboy smiled some and gave a resounding nod as the two took their spots in the center of the room. He looked around to notice that the others had temporarily disregarded their activities to watch. Beastboy looked over towards Raven whose expression was calm and observant.

"You ready?" Robin asked and Beastboy looked up at him slightly startled.

"Uh...yeah," He replied, sliding his left foot forwards, balancing himself and raising his fists. "Lets go."

And so the match began.

Robin ran forward, throwing a right-handed punch at the changeling. Beastboy let out a startled yelp as he backpedaled, the blow passing centimeters in front of his nose. It was very difficult for Beastboy to stop himself from transforming - that alone took concentration and self-restraint. Robin tried a kick and once again Beastboy barely managed to avoid the hit. All the while, Robin's expression had not changed in the slightest. A blow to Beastboy's shoulder sent him staggering backwards and, briefly, out of Robin's range.

Beastboy managed a fleeting glance in Raven's direction as he resisted the urge to rub his sore upper arm. She still looked calm and uninterested, and before Beastboy could study her expression any further, Robin came at him again.

Something inside Beastboy growled at this, and he decided it was time to try and land some hits of his own. He pivoted to his right, avoiding the blow and bringing his left knee up in an attempt to get Robin in the gut. Somehow, The Boy Wonder managed to anticipate Beastboy's move, performing a front flip over the changeling's leg. Robin landed, then swept his leg around, knocking Beastboy's legs out from underneath him.

As he rolled to his feet, Beastboy frowned in annoyance. _'Is he trying to make me look bad?'_ he asked himself.

"Come on Beastboy, you can do better than that," Robin stated, actually waiting for the changeling to make the next move.

Though Robin's words were meant to encourage him, Beastboy couldn't help but feel a strong urge to yell at The Boy Wonder.

_'Raven's watching,'_ Beastboy reminded himself.

_'She'll think you're weak,' _The Voice growled.

Beastboy balled his hands into fists as a feeling of tension and anxiety stirred inside him, begging to be released.

Beastboy charged forwards, bringing his fist backwards in preparation for his attack. Robin, surprised only by Beastboy's sudden glare, dodged out of the way of the changeling's blow, ducked behind the younger boy and shoved him to the floor.

Beastboy panted slightly, down on his hands and knees as he stared at the ground. The room was silent and it further added to the overwhelming feeling of pressure within him.

Raven had seen him; she had watched him fail - yet for some reason his thoughts would not stay focused on just her. No, Robin had done this; he had claimed a fair fight with no powers or weapons, knowing that Beastboy could be easily beaten.

Another side to Beastboy shook his head at the thought,_ 'Robin wouldn't do that. He's my friend, he's trying to help me improve - I shouldn't be thinking like this.'_

That side of him, however, was distant and weak, replaced by humiliation and anger. How could Robin tell him not to hold back if he couldn't use his powers? It took everything in him not to just transform into a gorilla and hit The Boy Wonder.

_'This isn't fair,'_ Beastboy thought.

_'He thinks you're weak,' _The other voice egged him on. _'They all do...'_

Robin's shadow loomed over him and he could sense how off guard and at ease the leader was.

"That was a good try, Beastboy." Robin said. "You've definitely improved."

_'He thinks it's over.'_

Beastboy clenched his fists again and growled.

He spun his body around to kick Robin's feet out from beneath him, but his leader had jumped back at just the last second.

Robin looked up, surprised that Beastboy would use a sneak attack, and in one swift motion the changeling was to his feet. Beastboy's hands were down firmly by his sides as he looked up at his leader.

"I'm not finished." Beastboy spoke in a firm and determined voice.

Robin studied his expression for a moment, noting for the first time just how much taller the changeling had gotten, and that now they were at even heights. Robin gave a small smile of admiration at Beastboy's persistence and stepped forward.

"Good." He replied and the fight continued.

Robin moved forward, throwing his fist at the changeling only, this time, to be blocked. Beastboy threw a punch back, but Robin did the same. The two kept going...punches being thrown and hits exchanged, but no solid contact was made...neither could seem to get the other to fall.

The other titans had taken much more interest in the fight by now, and they were all astonished at how Beastboy was suddenly holding his own against Robin.

They were even.

Raven looked between the two and tried to hide the feelings that were rushing inside her. Bravery and Happy were both cheering, while Timid worried over her friends safety, Knowledge couldn't seem to understand the sudden change in Beastboy's behavior, and Love was oddly silent, caught somewhere in the middle of the other emotions.

Finally, accompanied by an angry growl, Beastboy's fist made contact with Robin's face, sending him stumbling back a few feet. Robin looked up rubbing his now bruised cheek and breathing heavily.

Suddenly everyone else in the room didn't matter, it wasn't about impressing Raven or proving to Robin that he was strong, now it was just about fighting.

Beastboy slid into a defensive stance, waiting for Robin's next move, whatever it may be.

"Come on Robin," Beastboy echoed, smirking. He was panting just as hard as Robin, "You can do better than that."

Robin returned the smirk, having not gotten a good fight like this in a long time, and charged back in.

Beastboy couldn't help but feel a sense of freedom as he fought, not needing to rely on his powers to win, just him and nothing else.

The room no longer seemed so small to him and the sound of his and Robin's colliding fists and heaving breathing was louder than any orchestra, he felt like he had been holding his head under water for hours and had finally come up for air.

_'Beastboy,'_

His name echoed in his head for a moment filled with several intense emotions that seemed to struggle against each other, but it wasn't his voice that spoke it...no...it was...

_'Raven?'_

Being caught slightly off guard, Robin's foot made contact with Beastboy's side and the changeling grunted a moment, before folding over.

Starfire gasped and Cyborg and Raven looked ready to run over towards him at any moment.

Robin stopped and looked worried...perhaps he had gotten carried away in all the excitement.

He reached a hand out towards his teammate to make sure he was okay, but Beastboy's hand came up unexpectedly to grab Robin's shirt.

He stood and raised Robin off the ground slightly...He could feel the adrenalin rushing through him.

_'Finish him off' _The Voice demanded.

That thought sent a feeling of fear and shock throughout Beastboy's body. He became aware of his surroundings and the situation once again and realized just how far he was taking things.

In Beastboy's hesitation Robin managed to push away, his expression a mix of confusion...and maybe even concern for Beastboy's sudden rash behavior. Beastboy stepped back with wide and fearful eyes that refused to meet Robin's gaze.

He couldn't seem to catch his breath fast enough, his legs wobbled beneath him and he fell to his knees. Whatever had been fueling him before was gone. His heart was pounding rapidly in his chest, and he felt that at any moment he would lose consciousness.

Robin let his guard down, and him and the other titans quickly approached Beastboy.

"You okay, BB?" Cyborg asked, crouching down next to him.

Beastboy closed his eyes tightly and shook his head 'no', still struggling for a full breath of air.

"Give him some room," Raven said, glaring at the others to back off.

Cyborg stood up and stepped back a few feet with the others, watching as Beastboy's arms shook slightly from the effort to hold himself up.

Raven looked back at Beastboy and her expression softened into concern as she bent down in front of him and gently placed her hand on his shoulder. She could sense not just his physical exhaustion but also the emotional stress within him.

"It's okay Beastboy," Raven told him in a calm voice.

Despite the sound of his heart beating loudly in his head, Beastboy could hear Raven's soft and calming voice.

He opened his eyes once his breathing was steady again and looked up at her.

He wasn't sure if he understood what had just happened, but for moment he had actually wanted to hurt Robin- and that alone terrified him.

He tried to remember another time he had felt so angry or been so eager to fight, though there was an incredible sense of freedom and power as well and he was certain he had felt this before...

That feeling...

"Yo, Beastboy, you okay man?" Cyborg asked, no longer able to just watch the two titans stare at each other.

Beastboy jumped slightly and looked over towards him, managing a weak nod.

Raven slowly retracted her hand as Starfire and Robin stepped forward.

"You had us very worried friend," Starfire said. "Are you injured much?"

"Um, no, not really," Beastboy replied glancing at Raven as she stood up.

"He's fine," Raven reported. "Just got a little..over exerted."

Robin took a step forward, accepting Raven's explanation and helping Beastboy to his feet.

"I gotta say, Bb, that was pretty cool," Cyborg commented with a slight laugh. "For a second there I actually thought I'd have to break you two up."

"You were most impressive," Starfire exclaimed.

"Probably the best fight I've had in a long time," Robin added with a friendly smile. "You really gave it your all today."

"Heh..." Beastboy smiled weakly.

_'You have no idea'_ He thought.

"Thanks Rob, but if you don't mind..." he said, staring down at the ground. "I'd like to stick to my regular training exercises from now on."

"You sure?" Robin asked with slight surprise. "You did a great job."

Raven glared slightly at Robin, though it went unnoticed. She knew that he would probably try and spar again with Beastboy, simply because he had enjoyed the challenge.

"Yeah...I'm sure," Beastboy replied. "It's not really my thing."

"Could have fooled me man." Cyborg commented.

Beastboy forced another weak smile, knowing that if it had been any other time he would have been boasting and gloating in triumph.

Today, however, the victory was tainted for him - how could he except their praise for what he had done, how could they be proud.

He had lost control.

"Robin?" Beastboy asked getting the leaders attention. "I'm a little worn out and, well, I know I haven't trained the full time but..."

"It's okay Beastboy," Robin interjected. "I'm a little winded too. If you want you can go."

Beastboy looked somewhat surprised, but gave him a grateful smile before turning to leave.

"As for the rest of you..." Robin said turning towards the others with a slight smirk, "The shows over, time to get to work."

Raven looked towards the door Beastboy had exited and frowned.

_'Something was wrong'_

"Maybe Raven should check in on Beastboy," Cyborg suddenly suggested.

Raven looked up; obviously she wasn't the only one who was concerned.

Robin nodded.

"It couldn't hurt to make sure," he agreed turning towards her, "But come right back after you're done."

Raven nodded, and exchanged looks with Cyborg before leaving.

-----------------------------

Beastboy shivered as he looked up into the sky, leaning against the rock near the shore - his rock.

_'Man...it's freezing' _he thought rubbing his left arm.

He tried to ignore the cold, hoping to clear his head...or, at least, sort out his thoughts. The fight replayed in his head again and again, but he couldn't seem to remember why it had gotten so serious. He was angry, at least, at first, but that didn't explain the feelings he had felt afterward.

_'Why did I...'_ he let his question fade and he sighed.

Was something wrong?

"You're going to catch a cold."

Beastboy jumped and looked back at Raven, surprised he hadn't heard her coming. Her voice was as calm as ever, and her features were illuminated by the afternoon sun.

"Why'd you come out here?" Raven asked taking a few steps forward.

Beastboy gave her a halfhearted smile and shrugged.

"Ah...just needed some fresh air that's all," He said. "I swear Robin puts way too much hair gel on."

Raven raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "How about you try telling me the truth this time."

Beastboy blinked.

"But I...How'd you..." He paused then laughed slightly at himself. "I forget sometimes that you're an empath."

"True," Raven said, "But that's not how I know you're lying."

"Then...how?" Beastboy asked with a curious expression.

"Because..." Raven stated stepping beside him, "I'm your best friend. I know you better than that."

Beastboy couldn't help but smile.

"Okay, you got me," He replied with a small chuckle. "I...I just came out here to think."

"About what happened during your fight," Raven assumed.

"Yeah." Beastboy nodded looking surprised. "Are you sure you're not reading my mind right now?"

Raven smirked.

"If I could, then why would I bother asking?"

"Uh, 'cause you like to hear me talk." Beastboy shot back with a sneaky grin.

Raven raised an eyebrow, but smiled despite herself.

Beastboy looked down, letting a few moments of silence linger between them before frowning.

"I...I really wanted to hurt him, Rae." Beastboy whispered and she could sense the shame in his voice

"But you didn't," Raven replied.

"But I would have," Beastboy stated looking up. "I was so angry and...I'm not even sure why anymore."

Raven looked into his eyes - sometimes they were dark and intense, the pupils small, and other times they were simply a beautiful dark green, kind and hopeful, they changed with him - told all his secrets.

"When you think about it..." Raven began as she looked out onto the water, "Your emotions are driven by your powers, just as much as my powers are driven by my emotions."

"Huh?" Beastboy asked tilting his head to the side in confusion.

Raven inwardly smiled.

"It's instinct," she stated.

Beastboy nodded slowly and stepped closer beside her.

"You think so?" He asked, needing whatever assurance he could get.

"Your powers are growing," Raven stated. "You just need time to adjust."

_'Where have I heard that before?'_ Beastboy wondered

"Hey! You stole that line from me," Beastboy smirked crossing his arms over his chest as a faint smile made its way to Raven's face.

A gust of wind flew by and Beastboy watched as Raven shuddered slightly, though for some reason just being near her was enough to keep him warm.

"Maybe you should go in, Rae," Beastboy suggested. "You might catch a cold or somethin'."

"Oh, and I suppose you're immune," Raven quipped looking over at him.

Beastboy smiled. Just Raven, being herself, seemed to make him happy.

_'Here's your chance'_ He decided looking nervously down at his feet. _'It's now or never'_

"Um...Raven..." he began. "I was wondering if maybe..."

He swallowed hard, trying to ignore the anxiety that was surfacing in the pit of his stomach.

"After practice we could..."

_'So close...keep going'_ he encouraged himself.

"Maybe go out for pizza or, ya know, go see a movie or something."

He waited only a few seconds for her reply though for him it felt like hours.

"I...I can't," she replied in a sad sort of tone.

Beastboy felt a slight stab at his heart and his face fell; he'd been rejected.

"...Oh," He managed in a shaky voice.

Raven frowned.

"It's not that I don't want to..."

"-No, it's okay, I understand," Beastboy replied looking up at her and trying to force the sadness from his voice.

"Beastboy..."

"-I mean, you probably have a million other things you'd rather do," he continued.

Raven tried to interject again. "Beastboy I..."

"-Man I feel like an idiot...you probably don't even.."

But before Beastboy could finish, Raven got his attention in the only way she knew how, by capturing his lips in her own. The kiss was short and sweet - lips pressed against lips and nothing more. It still managed to send a slight shock through both of their bodies and Beastboy's eyes widened in surprise as she pulled away.

"Uh...what...was I...saying?" Beastboy asked slowly.

"Something about you being an idiot, I think," Raven replied with a smirk.

Beastboy shook his head to bring himself back to reality and looked at Raven questioningly.

Raven sighed.

"I promised Starfire I'd go shopping with her today," She explained.

"Really?" Beastboy asked raising an eyebrow with a small smile. "You're going shopping?"

"Is it really that hard to imagine?"

Beastboy chuckled.

"No, it's just...good," he replied. "Ya know, that you're doing stuff like that."

"I could use some new clothes anyway," Raven stated rubbing her arm absentmindedly. "Something warmer."

Beastboy smiled shyly over at her and hesitantly grabbed her hands in his. She didn't seem to notice, or maybe she just didn't mind, and they stayed like that for a minute or two.

"Unless there's an emergency, I'm not busy Friday," Raven said, her voice quiet and her eyes refusing to look at him. "Maybe we could go somewhere then?"

Beastboy couldn't believe it...she really wanted to go out with him. HIM.

"Y..yeah.." Beastboy nodded hardly able to keep himself calm.

Raven smiled...another cold gust of wind blowing by.

"You wanna go inside?" Beastboy asked. "I could make you some hot tea."

_'Oh that's so sweet'_ Love cooed.

"Tempting," Raven replied looking up at him, "But I need to get back to the training room."

Their hands parted as Raven turned and walked back towards the Tower, Beastboy followed shortly after.

"So...Friday?" He asked.

Raven looked over her shoulder at him and nodded.

Beastboy slowed down, then stopped altogether. "Friday..." He whispered almost still in shock as Raven disappeared from view.

A huge grin spread across his face and he looked up towards the sky in excitement. All his previous thoughts about his fight with Robin forgotten.

He took a deep breath to calm himself but that feeling of overwhelming joy erupted once again...yes...this feeling was much better.

"I'VE GOT A DATE WITH RACHEL ROTH!" He screamed.

From inside titans tower Raven blushed, wondering if the others had heard him...it was unlikely that they had...and even so...would they know he was talking about her?

_'WE'VE GOT A DATE WITH GARFIELD LOGAN'_ Her emotions shouted and she had to cover he mouth to keep from yelling it as well.

_'A date'_

She stopped and flushed.

_'Oh no, a date'_

_----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

**YAH...yes ...a date!**

**Can you believe it?...do you think i rushed it in the chapter? Was it horrible? How about the fight?...Why am I asking all these questions?**

**Please Review...and I'll try and get another chapter up...though the next one is going to be difficult...I'm dangerously close to being OOC...I hope not...let me know.**

**THANK YOU secondrate...I really appreciate it!**

**And once again...REVIEW...it makes me feel like I've accomplished something.**


	11. The Word Is Out

**Hello readers.**

**No I am not dead and Yes I'm planning on continuing with this...er...story? I'm gonna call it a story. I think it quit being a series of one-shots when I started forshadowing. silly me...I can never just keep things simple.**

**I would like to apologize for any mistakes. I did not have anyone else revise this for me like so many of my other chapters before it. If I do get it revised (Which is possible) I will repost it.**

**NOTE: This chapter was absoloutly necessary in order for me to continue. It's a bump in the road, I admit, but I might be able to actually get stuff done now.**

**BLAH! okay...I've rambled enough and you guys have waited too long already. So go ahead and enjoy.**

* * *

Beastboy opened his eyes and squinted against the light shining through his window. Adjusting slightly, he sat up, and stretching his arms above his head he leaped out of bed to put on his shoes. He hummed happily to himself as his door opened and he headed towards the main room smiling as if he hadn't a care in the world. Today was going to be a good day, in fact, Beastboy couldn't remember the last time he had woken up in such a happy and energetic mood. 

He quickened his pace as he reached the door, eager to greet his friends and more importantly to see Raven. He had gone to bed before she had arrived home from the mall and hadn't talked to her since, something that surprised him considering Raven wasn't normally one to spend hours shopping.

The doors swooshed open and he hopped inside with much more energy than actually necessary.

He scanned the room for her presence but found only Cyborg, who was currently seated in front of the TV engrossed in an episode of Pimp My Ride.

Slightly disappointed but still unable to shake off his feeling of excitement Beastboy walked over towards the couch.

"Hey Cy!"

Cyborg jumped slightly and then looked back at him, his shocked expression turning into a friendly smile.

"It's about time you woke up, B," Cyborg said. "For a second there I thought you'd lapsed into a coma."

Beastboy gave Cyborg a questioning look.

"Why? What time is it?" he asked.

"Almost 3," Cyborg reported glancing at the digital clock on the wall.

Beastboy's eyes widened. Had he really been asleep that long?

"Dude, why didn't anyone wake me up!?"

Cyborg shrugged.

"We don't have practice today," he replied, "And there hasn't been any emergencies."

Beastboy frowned.

"Oh, so there has to be an emergency for anyone to want me around?" He asked in a slightly angry tone.

"Hey, that's not what I said man," Cyborg calmly replied. "I would have woken you up, but Raven said to leave you alone and let you sleep."

Beastboy stared for a moment, the look of annoyance quickly sliding off his face.

"Oh," he replied, finding it slightly strange at how defensive he had just gotten with his friend.

He shook the thought off and smiled.

"I guess that explains why I have so much energy then," he mused out loud.

He paused for a moment and looked around the room again.

"So...where is everyone?" Beastboy asked, not wanting to sound as if he was looking for anyone specific.

"I think Starfire said she was going to the store," Cyborg replied. "Something about needing the ingredients for her ...glorg."

"Glorg?" Beastboy asked.

"Yeah," Cyborg nodded grimly. "Apparently tomorrows some sort of national tameranian holiday of feasting."

Beastboy paled slightly. "Gee...that's...great."

Cyborg snorted slightly.

"Glad you think so," he grinned slyly. "Especially since I told her you'd be the first to try it."

"DUDE, no way! Y-you...you didn't," Beastboy replied sounding terrified.

Cyborg laughed some and then turned back around to face the TV.

"Relax man, I didn't."

Beastboy sighed, leaning forward and resting his arms on the top of the couch casually. He cleared his throat loudly in one of his hands.

"So um...wheres ..?"

"Robin's room I think," Cyborg replied flipping through the channels.

Beastboy blinked for a moment and then gave the back of Cyborg's head a questioning look. Had he just heard him right? Maybe he hadn't understood the question.

"Both of them?" He asked again, "As in, Robin and Raven?"

"Yep."

Beastboy felt confused and then upset...what was Raven doing with Robin, and in his room. What was Robin up to...didn't he like Starfire?

"Oh," Beastboy replied trying to seem unconcerned. "That's...um...what are they doing?"

He hoped he didn't sound as suspicious as he felt.

"Sorting through villain's files," Cyborg replied as if it were obvious. "Who else would Robin get to help him with that stuff."

"Starfire," Beastboy immediately replied.

"Are you kidding," Cyborg said. "You know how crazy Robin gets about that kind of stuff, and Starfire would insist on him taking a break, which would only cause an argument."

"Oh ...yeah."

Beastboy found himself relaxing again and he smiled at his own stupidity. Did he really think that Robin was trying to steal Raven away from him.

_'Heh...maybe I should have gotten more sleep after all'_ he thought

"Okay, nothings on," Cyborg announced. "It's time to get down to some serious business."

Cyborg tossed the remote aside and eagerly grabbed one of the game station controllers.

"Grab ya some of that tofu junk and let's get started," he said looking back at Beastboy.

Beastboy glanced towards the kitchen with disinterest...he wasn't hungry.

"Nah...I'm good."

"You sure?" Cyborg asked.

"Yep," Beastboy smiled, turning toward his friend.

"Fine with me, but don't use hunger as an excuse for when I beat ya," Cyborg warned turning around in his seat to face the television, fully expecting Beastboy to jump in the spot next to him accepting the challenge.

"Actually, I've got a better idea," Beastboy replied.

"Better?" Cyborg asked looking over his shoulder at Beastboy as though he were crazy. "Dude...what could be better than playing video games?"

"Uh..Hello! I've been sleeping the whole day away," Beastboy announced waving his arms to emphasize his point. "I don't wanna spend the rest of it sitting on my butt."

"You don't?" Cyborg asked in bewilderment and Beastboy sighed briefly before gesturing towards the door.

"How can you just sit there when it's the perfect day for...," Beastboy paused for effect and grinning he lifted up a..."FOOTBALL!"

Cyborg gave him a funny look.

"Come on Cy, you know you're just dying to play," Beastboy continued, "Or are you to afraid to face my mad skills?"

Beastboy then attempted to spin the ball on his finger only for it to loose balance and fumble slightly before falling.

Cyborg laughed some.

"You can keep the skills man," he replied, "Cause there's no way I'm going out there."

"Awe...," Beastboy whined his shoulders slumping forward in disappointment. "Why not?"

"Because it's 30 degrees outside," Cyborg answered, "And in case you don't know...that's really cold."

Beastboy's eyes widened.

"Dude...how long did you say I was asleep?" Beastboy asked, "How'd it get so cold so fast?"

"Can't questioned mother nature man," Cyborg replied.

Beastboy looked towards the window for the first time and could see the frost already invading his view of the outside.

"I hope it warms up by tomorrow," he said distractedly.

"Why? What's tomorrow?"

Beastboy jumped and looked nervously at his friend.

"Uh...oh..ya know..," he replied with uncertainty. "That thingy?"

Cyborg raised his eyebrow in question.

"Which reminds me," Beastboy replied, "I gotta go..er...do my laundry..See ya!"

Beastboy dashed out of the room, slowing down his pace once he was out of Cyborg's range and letting out a deep breath. His happy and excited feeling had turned to anxiety in less than an hour and now it was digging itself deep into his belly. He stopped when he reached the work out room and then looked inside.

'Why not?' he found himself asking as he took another step towards the door.

He didn't have anything else planned for the day and for the moment he thought it best to avoid a conversation with Cyborg. He was happy about his date with Raven, but didn't want to say anything to anyone just yet. He would need to talk with Raven about it the next time he saw her, after all, she was very secretive when it came to certain things.

He walked inside and decided to lift some weights, which seemed like the perfect outlet for his extra energy. He laid down on the board and grabbed the weight bar with both hands.

_'Gotta stay in shape for the ladies'_ he thought with a wary grin. _'Well...for Raven'_

Taking in a deep breath he lifted it off it's perch and felt it come down towards his chest. Apparently, a lot heavier than he had anticipated, he began to push, lifting it up.

He thought about the night before and still couldn't believe his luck. A date with Raven! It seemed so impossible, but then again he was a green super powered shape-shifter; Impossible wasn't exactly the right word for the occasion. Perhaps the word was...amazing.

He wondered if it was possible that he had found someone that he could be with, someone that he trusted and who accepted him for he was. Beastboy had once thought he had found that person in Terra, he had wanted it so badly and she had seemed so perfect. Of course, things aren't always what they seem. Terra had brought more sorrow into his life than she did happiness, and he had never quiet been the same since her betrayal. Thinking about it now, no longer made him sad though, if anything he was angry at himself.

_'You were a fool.'_

"Not...any...more," Beastboy grunted as he lifted the weights.

He wouldn't make the same mistake again. Raven wasn't Terra; she would never lie to him, she would never turn her back on him, and Raven wouldn't break his heart.

Then as quickly as those thoughts came to mind, doubt settled in.

Maybe the reason Raven had told Cyborg to let him sleep in was because she was avoiding him. Maybe she had changed her mind about their date, or rather, just came to her senses. Could it even be possible that he had just dreamed it all.

_'Why would she want to go out with someone so weak?'_ the voice inside his head asked.

Beastboy narrowed his eyes in concentration as he lifted the weight.

_'You're not good enough for her'_

Beastboy's arms forced the weights up again, then back down to his chest.

_'You've never been good enough'_

His arms shook slightly as he pushed the weight up, only to stop half way and feel it begin to fall back on him. He closed his eyes and strained to lift it the rest of the way without morphing, but his arms felt like they were crumbling under the pressure.

He felt his breathing get heavy, he wouldn't give up, he wasn't weak.

_'Prove it'_

Suddenly he felt the weight come off him with great ease, in fact, it was too easy.

"Ya know you shouldn't lift weights without a spotter."

He quickly opened his eyes and found himself looking up at an upside down Cyborg, who had grabbed both sides of the bar and was placing it back on it's perch.

Beastboy let out a startled yell and fell off the mat, hitting his head on the bar,

"Ow..." he groaned rubbing his head. "Dude, don't sneak up on me like that."

"Hey, don't look at me," Cyborg said with a half smile. "I thought you were off doing laundry."

Beastboy pulled himself up, still rubbing his soar head. "Yeah...sorta got side tracked."

"So let me get this straight," Cyborg replied. "You would rather skip breakfast and video games to come in here, on our day off, and work out?"

Beastboy looked up with a nervous smile. "Uh...well..."

"Okay man what's up?" Cyborg asked with an accusing tone.

"Nothing!" Beastboy quickly and loudly replied and Cyborg lifted his eyebrow.

"I mean...ya know, just trying to keep in shape." Beastboy grinned flexing his arms.

Cyborg folded his arms and looked down a him with a small sly smile.

"I have to admit, B, I'm surprised."

"Surprised?" Beastboy asked his confident demeanor slipping, and his arms falling limp at his sides.

Cyborg nodded. "I half expected to find you standing outside Robin's door."

Beastboy panicked. "Why? What would I be doing there?"

"Oh, I don't know," Cyborg replied. "Eaves dropping, spying, waiting for Raven to come out. Basic things like that."

Beastboy began to sweat. Did Cyborg somehow know about his feelings toward Raven? How?

"Why would I care if Ravens in there or not?" Beastboy asked, eyes darting to and from Cyborg's face. _'That's right'_ he told himself. '_Just play dumb'_

"I just figured since you've been spending so much time with her lately," he replied, "That you might be a little jealous."

"What? Me? Jealous? No way," He replied folding and then unfolding his arms. "It's not like I'm Raven's only friend or something."

"Yeah, but you're her best friend, right?" Cyborg asked.

"S..so?" Beastboy stuttered. "I'm your best friend too."

Cyborg leaned back casually against the weight bar.

"Yep," he replied. "Nothin' strange about that."

Beastboy sighed in relief.

"So...what have the two of you been up too?" Cyborg asked in a calm almost uninterested tone. "I mean, you obviously found something you have in common, right?"

Beastboy made sure he didn't panic and just glanced away.

"Yeah...we're more alike than I thought," he replied with a casual shrug.

"See man...I told ya when we first started out that she'd warm up to you."

Beastboy grinned. "Yeah...," he replied.

"And now the two of you are really good friends."

Beastboy nodded with a content and far away look in his eyes. "We are..."

"Just goes to show ya, you never know," Cyborg continued noticing Beastboy's distracted gaze.

"Uh huh...life's full of surprises," Beastboy replied.

Cyborg grinned and seized the opportunity.

"So...when are you two going out?"

"Tomorrow," Beastboy replied without thinking.

He instantly realized his mistake and jumped, just as Cyborg pointed his finger at him.

"HA! I knew something was up with you two!"

Beastboy waved his arms in an effort to reverse what he had just done.

"No.Wait!" he exclaimed. "You've got it all wrong!"

"OH? So you and Raven aren't going on a date tomorrow?" Cyborg asked with a knowing grin.

"Uh..well...technically..." Beastboy rubbed the back of his neck and blushed. "We...um...yeah."

"Well alright Man" Cyborg grinned. "It's about time something interesting happened around here."

"You're...not surprised?" Beastboy asked.

"Well, maybe a little" Cyborg admitted. "I mean, who would of ever thought that'd happen."

Suddenly something inside Beastboy sparked and he glared over at his friend.

"And what's that suppose to mean?" He asked.

"Huh?" Cyborg blinked at Beastboy's sudden mood change.

"What? You think I'm not good enough for Raven?" He asked stepping closer. "You think she'd never go for someone like me, that she couldn't possibly have feelings for me?"

"Uh...no...that's not it," Cyborg replied looking at him strangely. "I just never thought you'd pluck up the courage to ask her out."

Beastboy's anger melted away.

"Are you okay, B?" Cyborg asked. "You've been actin' kinda weird."

Beastboy sighed.

"Sorry Cy...I guess I'm just a little worked up," he replied. "About this whole date thing."

He knew that he wasn't being entirely honest, but what else could he say.

"Nervous huh?" Cyborg replied. "Well...where are you taking her?"

Beastboy looked up. "Taking her?"

"On your date?" Cyborg explained slowly.

"Uh...well..."

"Dude, don't tell me you have no idea," Cyborg replied. "This is your guys first date, it has to be special."

Beastboy eyes widened in panic. How could he have over looked something so important?!

"Oh man, oh man, oh man,...what am I going to do? Where will I go? What will I wear? How can I-"

"-Yo, Bb. Calm down," Cyborg said grabbing his friend's shoulders. "You can do this."

"Do what?" Came a voice from the door.

The two looked over to see Robin standing at the door- looking confused and curious.

"NOTHING!" Beastboy yelled. "There's nothing going on!"

Robin raised an eyebrow, not at all convinced, and stepped in. Cyborg smiled knowingly over at Beastboy who seemed determined to avoid eye contact.

"Is there some kind of problem I should know about?" Robin asked.

"Come on B, you can tell him," Cyborg replied, nudging the younger titan with his elbow. "It's no big deal."

Robin looked over at Beastboy. "What's not a big deal?"

Beastboy groaned slightly and looking down he mumbled. "I...have a date with Raven tomorrow."

Robin blinked, then laughed slightly.

"Sorry, for a second there I thought you said you had a date with..."

A warning glare from Cyborg caused him to halt, surprised.

"You have a date with Raven?" Robin asked in shock.

Beastboy nodded.

"Wow..."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Cyborg commented. "Who would of thought he'd ask Raven out before you asked Star."

Robin looked over. "What do you mean?"

"Dude, don't even," Beastboy replied, smirking as he looked up. "It's way obvious you've been crushing on her since forever."

Robin blushed but recovered instantly.

"Okay...so you're going out with Raven," he stated.

"I think we've pretty much covered that already," Cyborg replied before turning and smiling at Beastboy.

"I figured somethin' was up, ever since that argument you two had a while back." He said. "The whole Tea making thing and Raven apologizing to you should have been a dead give away."

"Was it that obvious?" Beastboy asked. "Even I didn't know then."

"Well, I always thought you kinda liked her," Cyborg replied, "But then yesterday after your fight with Robin.."

At the mention of that, Beastboy felt like someone had punched him in the stomach.

"I mean, the look on Ravens face," he said. "I could just tell there was somethin' between you guys."

"That's what Starfire said," Robin commented thoughtfully. "She mentioned that the two of them were close."

"Dude, did everyone in the Tower know!" Beastboy yelled, the uneasiness inside him subsiding.

"Well...I didn't," Robin replied looking disappointed. "I guess I should start paying more attention."

"We already know what was distracting you," Cyborg teased. "She has long red hair, a short skirt, loves mustard..."

"Okay I get it," Robin replied in an annoyed tone. "Aren't we suppose to be talking about Raven and Beastboy? What's the problem?"

"Beastboy's clueless," Cyborg simply told him. "Him and Raven are going out tomorrow and he has no plan."

"Well...I thought I might talk to Raven about it," Beastboy replied thoughtfully.

Robin and Cyborg exchanged looks. "Nah" they said.

"It has to be romantic," Cyborg told him.

"And well thought out," Robin added.

"Something special," Cyborg said.

"And somewhere nice," Robin continued.

Beastboy looked frantically between the two. "Well...uh...there's..um.."

He stopped himself and sighed as he looked down, shoulders slumping and ears drooping.

"Who am I kidding?" he asked himself dejectedly. "I've got nothing. Raven will never want to go out with me again."

Robin and Cyborg looked taken back by their friends negative attitude.

"Hey man...it's no big deal," Cyborg tried to comfort him. "Raven did say yes when you asked her out, so she must like you."

"Cyborgs right," Robin nodded. "It won't matter where you go."

"But you both just said that the first date's the most important," Beastboy replied looking up at them expectantly.

Cyborg and Robin instantly regretted what they had said, having not meant to get Beastboy so worked up.

"I ... have an idea," Robin told him.

"You do?" Beastboy asked hopefully.

"I could call in a favor," He replied cautiously. "Get you reservations at that new french restaurant down town."

"Are you talking about 'lumière de l'ange'?" Cyborg asked looking over at the boy wonder.

"Is it any good?" Beastboy asked, lost.

"Are you kiddin', it's the best," Cyborg replied. "It's nearly impossible to get into. Real fancy and romantic too."

"I don't know guys," Beastboy said doubtfully. "It doesn't sound like my kind of place."

"That's the point man," Cyborg replied. "Raven will probably love it."

Beastboy looked thoughtful, wondering if he should take what was just said as an insult, but deciding against it.

"You think so?" He asked.

"Without a doubt," Cyborg answered.

"Okay then," Beastboy smiled and turned to Robin. "Could you do that?"

"It's kind of short notice, but if I start making calls now, I could pull it off," Robin answered looking thoughtful.

Beastboy felt the pressure inside him vanish, and overcome with extreme gratitude he jumped forward and began vigorously shaking Robin arm.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," he replied releasing Robin arm at last and holding his fists up in front of him in tense excitement. "Dude, I so owe you one!"

Robin smiled slightly as he rubbed his sore shoulder, which Beastboy had nearly dislodged.

"Uh...you're welcome?" he replied, turning to leave and shaking his head at Beastboy's behavior.

"Still nervous?" Cyborg asked once Robin had left.

Beastboy grinned back at him. "You bet I am," he said. "I've gotta go find Raven."

Cyborg gave a small smile. "Before you go, I ...kinda have something important to say to ya, Bb."

Beastboy blinked and turning back around he stood up straight.

"Yeah...what?"

Cyborg stepped in front of him. "You know you're like my little brother right?"

Beastboy hesitated for a moment and then nodded.

"Well Raven's like my little sister," he replied leaning down closer to Beastboy's face. "And no one messes with my sister, not even my brother, got it?"

Beastboy stepped back. "Uh...I think so."

"Just don't break her heart man," Cyborg replied in a serious and slightly sad tone. "It may seem like an impossible thing to do, but if she really cares about you..."

"I won't," Beastboy replied in a dead serious tone. He knew what that was like, and he knew that Raven had also gotten her heart broken before. He would never to that her...never.

Cyborg grinned.

"Yeah...I didn't think so, just had to do the big brother thing, " he replied. "good luck bro."

Beastboy grinned, turning and running out of the room.

Cyborg sighed, hoping that everything would work out for the two, and then Beastboy popped his head back in the door.

"Hey Cy?" He called out

"Yeah man?"

Beastboy smiled.

"Thanks," he replied, his voice genuine and sincere. "You're the best big brother a guy could have."

With those parting words he was gone, leaving Cyborg smiling slightly to himself.

Beastboy walked back into the main room, the door swooshing open. He immediately noticed the pot of tea cooling on the stove and smiled.

He walked over towards the kitchen and looked around.

"Friend Beastboy, you have awakened from your slumber," Came Starfire's polite voice from behind him.

He turned to face her.

"Hey Star, Back from the store already?" he asked, before she could smother him in a hug.

"Oh yes," She replied excitedly, "And tomorrow shall be a day of great feasting!"

Beastboy gave a weary smile. "Uh..yeah," he said. "Have you seen Raven?"

Starfire's grin became even bigger, which seemed almost impossible.

"Oh yes, I had just passed her," She replied, "I am understanding that the two of you may be missing the feasting tomorrow."

Beastboy tensed slightly.

"So...Raven told you?" he asked, making sure he wasn't getting the wrong idea.

"I could not help but notice she was distracted on our trip to the mall of shopping," Starfire replied, "She confided in me about your date and I am most happy for the both of you."

"Um...thanks Star," Beastboy smiled. "Guess the words gotten out."

"The word?" Starfire blinked in confusion.

"I mean that everyone knows now," Beastboy explained.

"I do not think friend Raven wishes for the word to be getting out," Starfire said after a moments thought. "She has asked me not to tell the others of your date."

Beastboy looked nervous.

"So...she doesn't want anyone else to know?"

"I believe she is feeling the nervousness," Starfire replied. "Perhaps she is wanting to speak with you first."

Beastboy looked down, would Raven be mad when she found out he had told? Did she really want to keep it a secret? Was she ashamed of Him? His thoughts seemed to be jumping from one conclusion to another, none of them good.

"Oh." he said.

Starfire floated forward and he felt her hand rest on his shoulder.

"Friend, is there something troubling you?" She asked.

Beastboy looked up.

"No I'm fine," He replied with a small smile. "Did you see where Raven went?"

"Yes...she was heading in the direction of her room," Starfire replied her hand falling down to her side again.

"Thanks Star...I'll see ya later," he said walking past her, his heart feeling strangely heavy.

* * *

**Don't yell at me!!! I already know!**

**There was no BB/Rae in this chapter at all. Raven didn't even get a line in this...BUT...I needed to set a chapter aside where all the characters found out. I mean you can't just have Beastboy say "Later guys, me and Raven are going on date"**

**Okay I could have done that...but it wouldn't have seemed right.**

**I still hope that my readers were satisfied that I continued (I almost wanted to quit, really!). And yes I do keep putting off the whole 'date thing' but...but...I HAVE ISSUES!! (glances around nervously).**

**Note: the name of the resturaunt was a last minute thing and roughly translated it mean 'Angel's light'.**

**The next chapter will...uh...be a while longer. Your patience means the world to me.EEEEEPPPPPP!_Please review_.**


	12. A Change In Plans

**I know my other chapter sucked because of the entire lack of Bb/rae, but I hope this chapter will redeem myself, at least some.**

**It's time to put some of those fears to rest and take the plunge. (Okay, even I don't like what i just said)**

**ENJOY!!**

* * *

'RAVEN' 

Beastboy sighed and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He had been standing outside Raven's room for what seemed like hours, the image of her name on the door now forever imprinted in his mind. He took a step closer, the letters now becoming blurry and causing a slight headache to form behind his eyes. He looked down at his feet, then brought his hands out in front of his view.

He flexed his fingers, imagining the light green and slightly scarred hands that stayed hidden behind his silver gloves. He had never really hated himself for being different, yes it was difficult at times, but in many ways he considered himself luckier than most. His appearance, his powers, it had given him a new view on life, and it had blessed him with life itself. There were very few times when he could truly say that he hated how he was, but now was one of those times.

His flaws were always so transparent, no more hidden than the color of his skin. He was so far from perfect, he didn't even come close to being acceptable.

Raven was so much better than himself.

Nothing compared to her smile, the delicate frame of her face, the shine of her hair, or the softness of her lips. She was dark but beautiful, simple but complex, strong but gentle. Raven was Everything; and he was nothing.

Beastboy sighed.

Raven was far too smart to waste her time with someone who got their history facts off the back of the cereal box. Raven was too mature to be with someone who had to ask for help when trying to open a child-proof bottle of Tylenol.

He just wasn't good enough for her, and he was certain that she would come to realize this soon; If she hadn't already.

The feeling had returned again, the nagging in his stomach, and he felt like it had grown ten times worse. It was like he was falling, only there was no end in sight, just a void that went on forever. He was slightly aware that his breathing had picked up, and his hands were trembling anxiously.

He was having his doubts, that was certain, but no amount of anxiety or nervousness had ever made him react quite like this before.

The feeling kept getting stronger, and a cold sensation swept up his arms and legs before consuming his entire being. He wasn't even sure what was happening anymore, finding it hard to distinguish the hot and cold sensations tingling beneath his skin. His hands formed into tightly made fists, and his heart began pounding in his chest.

_'What's...wrong with me?' _

Deep down he sensed that growing urge, the pressure, so similar to what he had felt when sparring with Robin the day before. It didn't make sense now though, this feeling had not been provoked through battle or even inner dialog.

Swallowing down the lump in his throat he stepped away from Raven's door, feeling the need to run away, perhaps in an effort to escape his own self. Just as he was about act on this instinctive need, the door to Raven's room slid open.

His head shot up to meet Raven's gaze, her face held a slight note of surprise that switched instantly to questioning concern. He felt the battle within him begin to slowly ease, like letting the air out of a tire, his shoulders lowered and his breathing evened out.

This did nothing to take away Ravens intense stare, she stood within the reaches of her door without a single word being said and yet her eyes spoke volumes.

"Beastboy...?"

That was all it took for him to return from his momentary stupor, he grinned nervously and hid his hands behind his back.

"Um..Hey Rae," he replied, trying to sound casual. "Star said you were up here so I thought I'd come up here and...well..here I am."

"Something wrong?" she asked, completely aware that he was putting on an act.

Beastboy's smile faltered.

"Well...I was wondering if...I mean...I," He sighed, looking down for a moment in thought before turning his attention back to Raven.

"Do you really wanna go out with me?" he asked with a confused expression.

Raven looked at him strangely for a moment and then raised an eyebrow.

"Do you think I would have said yes, if I didn't?"

"Well...no...but," he looked down slightly, "I just thought you may have changed your mind."

Raven frowned. "Why?"

"Come on Rae," he whined slightly. "Do I really have to say it."  
"Apparently, yes," she told him.

Beastboy looked off to the side, avoiding her gaze as much as he could.

"It's just that I'm not...and you're so...it.." He sighed again, "I mean...just look at me."

Raven blinked, briefly caught of guard by Beastboy's request. She opened her mouth to respond but stopped, and indulging in whatever it was that Beastboy was thinking she did as he asked.

Her eyes traveled up his body, and though recently she had found herself stealing glances at him, she had never had the opportunity to examine him so closely. He was barely half an inch taller than herself, his form was still small and lean, but years of Robin's strict training schedule had robbed him of his once weak looking limbs. With a slight blush Raven recalled having felt the ripple of muscles beneath his uniform during the kiss they had shared only a week before.

Her eyes finally found his face, dark green brows arched above captivating forest green eyes that were shadowed slightly from his gaze to the floor. The pensive frown that etched across his features made him look older than he was, but his face still retained its boyish features; messy dark green hair, a small fanged tooth sticking out from his lower lip, and pointed elf-like ears.

Somewhere inside her she wondered what it would feel like to run her fingers through his hair, or brush the side of his face with her hand. Another voice assured her that sometime soon she would do just that. For a moment she seemed lost in her own thoughts, almost not believing that she had just been inside her room overwhelmed with anxiety about the person in front of her. No, it wasn't Beastboy, it was the thought of going on a date that had scared her.

She blinked, storing away those thoughts for another time, a time when Beastboy wasn't standing in front of her with that saddened look on his face. She didn't need to pry into his mind to notice the insecurity around him, his hands were clenching nervously at his sides and his eyes were focusing steadily on the ground.

Raven frowned. Despite Beastboy's usual Bravo, she knew that he held a lot of insecurities about himself, but did he truly believe that he was ugly; or that she wouldn't want to be seen with him?

_'I am looking,'_ she told herself. _'But does he have any idea what I see_?'

She stepped forward, clearing the space between them as Beastboy prepared himself for rejection.

"Beastboy," she said, her voice was calm but not devoid of emotion. "Please look at me."

Hesitantly Beastboy complied, his eyes meeting hers, green staring into violet.

"I'm not sure what you were expecting," she told him, "But I have no intentions of breaking our date within a 24 hour Span."

Beastboy's facial expression went from surprised and hopeful to confused and unsure in less than a second, almost too afraid to make a positive assumption out of Raven's words.

"Does that mean you still wanna go out with me?" he asked with uncertainty, "Or that you want me to come back in a few hours and ask again?"

Raven rolled her eyes.

"It means," she began, looking back up at him with an almost unnoticeable blush, "That I think you look very...handsome."  
Beastboy's face immediately turned red, his eyes widening in disbelief..

_'Did she just say I was handsome?' _

_'He's so cute when he's blushing,'_ Love giggled, _'Bet he'd blush even more if you kissed him.'_

Raven ignored 'loves' advice and stared expectantly at Beastboy, who had yet to collect his thoughts.

"I'm...uh...you...I," he stuttered out.

_'Crap!'_ he mentally cursed himself. _'I'm back to incomplete sentences.'_

He calmed himself and tried again, looking back at Raven incredulously.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"And why wouldn't I be?" she returned, starting to wonder if he was trying to get out of the date himself.

_'Like we'd let him away with that'_ Bravery quipped.

"Uh...in case you haven't noticed Rae," he began, rubbing his upper arm in a self-conscience gesture, "I'm kinda...uh..green"

"Oh really," Raven stated in fake shock. "I hadn't noticed."

Beastboy blinked and his cheeks tinted red again.

"Okay, so it's obvious," he replied, trying to hide his embarrassment.

Raven sighed.

"Beastboy look at me," she stated, serious once again. "I'm pale, I have unnatural purple hair that I can't do a thing with, and my voice sounds like a croaking frog."

"No it doesn't," Beastboy immediately protested. "You're.."

Raven put a hand up to stop him and continued.

"I can best describe myself as plain, or in the words of a friend..," she looked him in the eye, "Creepy."

Beastboy felt himself shrink inside.

_'Creepy?' _he remembered. _'Did I really call her that back then?'_

"Raven, you're not Creepy you're.."

"Different, I know," She nodded in confirmation.

"Beautiful." Beastboy firmly corrected her.

Raven felt her face get warm.

"And you're handsome," she told him again. "I guess Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

"Um..wasn't that on a movie or something?" Beastboy asked scratching his head, "It sounds familiar."

"No, I just made it up," Raven replied.

"Wow, you're good," Beastboy said looking impressed. "You should make greeting cards or something."

Raven chuckled softly at the remark, mostly because she knew Beastboy had believed her. Beastboy smiled back, loving the sound of Raven's laugh. _'Definitely not a croaking frog'_ he told himself.

"Anything else you'd like to tell me?" Raven asked, "While I'm still listening, that is."

"Uh..OH yeah!" he nodded. "It's about our date!"

"And?"

"Bet you're wondering what amazing night I have planned, huh?" He wiggled his eyebrows, slipping back into the confident demeanor that suited him so well.

"I'm all in suspense," Raven replied, managing to sound sarcastic despite the truth in her words.

Beastboy folded his arms over his chest looking proud.

"It's only the best restaurant in the city," he told her.

Raven looked at him disbelievingly.

"You can't be talking about the place I think you're talking about." she said.

"So am," Beastboy assured her.

"How?" she questioned, still suspicious. "You would've had to make reservations at least a month in advance, and I seriously doubt you've been planning this for that long."

Beastboy cracked his knuckles feeling like he had impressed her. "I've got connections," he said.

"Connections?" Raven repeated, "Let me guess, Cyborg, no...Robin, right?"

"Uh.." Beastboy blushed, "Well...they kinda found out and I wasn't sure where to take you and so.."

"They picked a place for us." she concluded folding her arms over her chest, and Beastboy nodded feeling panicked once again. He had almost forgotten that Raven had wanted to keep their date a secret.

"I know you told Star not to tell them, but Cy tricked me and it just kinda came out, and then Robin showed up and they were all 'So where are you talking her?' and I started to panic, and then Robin told me about the restaurant and Cy said it was the best and then I was like 'Yeah sure' and..and.." he paused looking pleadingly at Raven, "Please don't be mad Rae, I swear it was an accident."  
Raven sighed and shook her head.

"I'm not mad at you Beastboy," she told him, and he visibly relaxed, "But be honest, do you really see yourself going to a place like this?"

Beastboy paused thoughtfully, trying to picture himself in a fancy restaurant.

"Well...uh...not really," he answered meekly, "But as long as you like it, then it's fine with me."

"Beastboy, I agreed to go out with you, not Cyborg and not Robin," Raven reminded him. "So where would you like to take me?"

Beastboy blinked and then smiled, feeling more relaxed by Raven's words.

"Well...I just thought we could go somewhere more private," He answered shyly, looking down and tapping his two index fingers together. "Maybe just to dinner and then afterward the park, if it's not too cold."

"That sounds nice," Raven replied with a soft expression. "I know a place a few blocks from here, they serve tea and if I remember correctly they have a vegetarian menu."

"Really!" Beastboy exclaimed, looking up at her. "Why haven't I heard of this place?"

"It's a small owned business, you have to look closely or you're bound to miss it," she explained. "Which means most people do. It's hardly ever crowded."

"Cool! so like...yeah that would be great!" he couldn't contain his excitement. "I can't wait!"

Raven silently agreed with him, she had been stressing over the date for the better part of the day, barely listening to Robin's comments when sorting through the villain's files and hardly touching her cup of tea at breakfast that morning. The thought of having to wait another night and then half of the day tomorrow just left more time for the anxiety to build up, and she wasn't sure if either of them could handle it.

"Why wait then," she found herself saying.

Beastboy blinked up in surprise.

"Uh...Really?" he asked, "Like right now?"

She jumped slightly when hearing Beastboy's voice, as if not realizing he was still there or she had said the thought out loud.

"Well...why not," she asked, deciding to go with it rather than backpedal on her mistake. "It's still early isn't it?"  
"Uh.." Beastboy pulled out his communicator and pressed a button. "It's a little after six."

"We could fly there," She suggested, feeling more certain of the idea, "Then walk back through the park."  
"It'll be dark." Beastboy stated.

Raven raised an eyebrow."Scared?"

"No," Beastboy quickly shook his head. "It sounds great, the sooner the better! You're absolutely sure though?"

"Absolutely." Raven nodded, "Just give me a few minutes to get ready, you might want to change too."

"Change?" Beastboy asked looking down at his uniform. "Is it formal or something?"

"No, it's freezing," Raven reminded him. "I'd at least put on a jacket."  
"Oh right, I forgot," he admitted sheepishly. "I'll be right back, give me 5 minutes!"

Before she could say anything else Beastboy took off, leaving Raven contemplating what had just occurred.

Beastboy had come to her door asking if she was sure about their date, only to let her know that he had already told Robin and Cyborg, and then to boast about where he was going to take; which turned out to be a place neither of them would have been comfortable in. Next thing she knew they had decided on a place together and Beastboy had dashed away to get ready.

Raven smiled some, Beastboy was so...Beastboy. He could go through so many ranges of emotions at once, acting on impulse alone, and it was that kind of spontaneity that made him so likable. True, at one time she had found that characteristic in him to be quite annoying, but now she found it refreshingly honest and maybe even...charming?

_'Beastboy charming?' _she asked herself, _'Am I really ready to admit that?' _

_'Of course he is!'_ Love exclaimed, '_He's adorably charming, you know it's true! Besides, you already told him he was handsome.'_

Raven turned back into her room, Sometimes her emotions could be too strong to ignore.

_'Please don't let this be a disaster'_ she silently prayed, though to who, she wasn't sure.

"This is a disaster!" Beastboy yelled rummaging through his closet. "How can I have all these clothes and still have nothing to wear?!"

He pulled out another shirt from the messy pile and held it up to him.

"Too plain..." he held up another. "Too ugly.."

"Too fuzzy...too itchy...too blue!!"

Letting out a frustrated sigh he let himself fall forward onto the pile of clothes.Half the stuff in the pile wasn't even his size, and he silently cursed himself for not throwing them out after he had out grown his old uniform.

_'Five minutes...yeah right' _he mentally scoffed. _'More like 5 hours'_

Pants weren't a problem, he had always bought them a size too big anyway; though the baggy look never did suit him, he still needed a shirt and a jacket.

He imagined showing up in front of Raven's door wearing what he had managed to find in his size; a pair of old blue jeans, a red and black striped short-sleeved shirt, and an ugly brown sweater.

_'Aren't girls the ones who are suppose to worry about what they wear?'_ He asked himself. _'I bet Raven's already dressed, and looks beautiful too.'_

Raven sighed, glancing at the three outfits she had laid on the bed in front of her. She had been more than a little distracted when her and Starfire had went to the mall, but after Starfire had asked her for the third time if 'everything was well' she had reluctantly confessed about her date with Beastboy. Starfire was thrilled, and exclaimed her joy in a tameranian folk song that had half the mall covering their ears and ducking for cover. After the shrill song had ended, much to Raven's relief, Starfire had insisted on helping pick out her clothes; with a few minor conditions of course.

Starfire's selection of clothing had surprised her though, nothing too colorful or girlie, and everything seemed comfortable and trendy. Of course, Starfire informed her of the magazines she'd been reading and had memorized all of the latest customary earth fads. Raven had to admit to herself that she was glad to have a friend like Starfire, not just for the 'girl talks'or the times when they sided against the boys, but because Starfire was a genuinely good person and always knew how to make things simple. She had even managed to make Raven feel less nervous about her on-coming date.

Still...

"It shouldn't be this hard," she told herself with a sigh.

All the out-fits were equally nice, but she couldn't help think that they would look ugly on her. Or plain.

_'You heard what Beastboy said,' _Raven reminded herself. "_Not plain..Not creepy...Beautiful.'_

She wanted to believe those words now more than ever as she picked up her first out-fit choice and proceeded to change.

Beastboy sighed, _'This is my only other option'_

_knock, knock._

"Um..Robin?" he asked from behind the closed door. "Could I talk to you for a sec?"

His request was met with silence. He cleared his throat.

"Robin? You in there?" he asked knocking again and then leaning his ear to the door, "Dude?"

The door slid open and Beastboy jumped back with a yell of surprise, barely managing to stop himself from falling.

"Sorry Beastboy," Robin apologized looking slightly startled himself. "I should have said I was coming."

"Dude, ya think!" Beastboy yelled. "You scared me half to death."

"Sorry," he quickly apologized. "But I do have good news."

"Let me guess," Beastboy said, a huge grin forming on his face. "You just saved a bunch of money on your car insurance."

"Uh..no, not exactly," Robin replied with an amused smile. "But good guess."

"Okay then, what's up?"

"It took a few phone calls but I got the reservations you wanted," Robin replied in a buisness like tone. "It's under the name 'Titans' and you go in around 6:30 tomorrow."

"Oh..uh.right," Beastboy smiled weakly, "About that.."

"What?" Robin asked his eyes narrowing behind his mask.

"Well, ya see," Beastboy began, putting his hand on the back of his neck. "Me and Raven were talking and we decided to go somewhere more private. Actually, we're about to leave in a few minutes."

"So I just wasted all that time for nothing," Robin asked, or rather stated.

"Well..." Beastboy looked around and spotted Starfire coming down the hall, he grinned and pulled her over toward them with a slight 'eepp' of surprise.

"I bet Star would like to go," he said.

Starfire looked between the two confused, "Might I inquire as to the place I may be going?"

"It's a restaurant Star, one of the best too." Beastboy told her. "Me and Raven were going to go but we made other plans. How 'bout it?"

"Could you simply not go another time?" Starfire asked, still slightly lost.

"Not to this place," Robin informed her. "It's hard to get into, and I just got reservations for tomorrow so-"

"Will you also be going to this place then, friend Robin?" Starfire asked interested, "I would not wish to venture in without an escort."

"Well...I..." Robin stumbled on his words and Beastboy stepped in front of him.

"That mean yes," he replied. "He'd love to go with you Star, right Robin?"

"Uh..I...yeah," he replied with a weak smile. "I'd love to Star."

"GREAT!" Beastboy exclaimed. "Then it's a date!"

Robin's eyes widened into saucers and Starfire looked over at him hopefully.

"Robin, is this true?" she asked, with wide searching eyes. "Do you wish to participate in the 'going out' with me?"

"Well I," Robin swallowed the lump in his throat and sighed, "Yes Star...I really would like that."

Starfire eyes lit up and Robin could hardly control his beating heart as she jumped forward, grabbed both his hands, and kissed him on the cheek.

"Oh Robin I am so excited," she exclaimed, pulling back to stare at him. "I have hoped for too long that you possessed the feelings for me, just as I have the feelings for you!"

Robin blushed madly and sent a strange questioning look at Beastboy, who simply smirked and mouthed the words 'I told you so'.

"I must hurry now and find something more fitting to wear for our date," she said joyously as she pulled away from Robin and disappeared quickly down the hall giggling.

Robin smiled to himself...Starfire had feelings for him. They were going on a date. He, He was going out with Starfire?

"Hello!!" Beastboy said, waving his hand in Robin's face.

Robin shook his head and turned toward his friend.

"It's about time you two got together," Beastboy grinned widely, "And to think I got to see it all happen!"

"Yeah, thanks by the way," Robin said with a slight smile, "Guess I owe you one now,"

"No problem," Beastboy grinned. "Just give me your clothes and we'll call it even."

"You want my clothes?" Robin asked with a disturbed look on his face.

"Dude! Not the clothes your wearing right now," he told him. "I need something to wear on my date and none of my street clothes look right, or fit right."

Robin sighed, letting the disturbed look slip from his face. '_Beastboy really needs to think things through before he talks' _he told himself, but still, he did have a date with Starfire.

"Pleeeeease?" Beastboy begged, his hands cupped together as he got down on one knee, "I told Raven I'd only be five minutes. She probably thinks I'm dead by now and has already found another guy who probably has an entire closet full of out-fits that he bought with the money he earned from some high profile job and-"

"Okay fine," Robin agreed, cutting Beastboy's ranting short and allowing him to enter his room.

"Sweet!" he exclaimed running inside and immediately opening Robin's closet.

"Beastboy don't-"

"Whoa! Dude, how many capes do you need?!"

Robin sighed in irritation.

Raven sighed in dissatisfaction as she stared at her reflection in her mirror.

_'I really needed to mediate more'_ she thought _'Even if I have a lot of my emotions under control, I haven't fully prepared myself for something as emotionally unnerving as a...date.' _

_'Don't chicken out now Rae, this is going to be so much fun!'_ happy told her.

_'Knock 'em dead!'_ bravery cheered

_'Beastboy's so cute'_ Love sighed.

Raven shook her head and worriedly looked down at herself as she sat at the edge of her bed.

_'You look fine,'_ Knowledge informed her.

_'Try not to over think things'_ Wisdom advised.

**_Knock, knock_.**

Raven jumped and looked over at her door, feeling more nervous than she had all day. This was it...she was actually going on a date with Beastboy.

_'Maybe we should reconsider'_ timid suggested.

"Rae?" came Beastboy's voice from the other side of the door. "Sorry I'm late. You haven't already found another date, have you?"

His words did not hold the same insecurity as before, just a hint of worry and curiosity that some how managed to instantly take away Raven's pety fears.

She smiled slightly as she stood up and made her way toward the door; thank goodness Beastboy was so...Beastboy.

* * *

**So very...close...to...date (twitches).**

**BLAH! Really hope you enjoyed reading this even though I probably should have held off a little longer. I've had the whole week off of school because of snow, so it got done quicker than I thought and I wanted to post it before I went to work today.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!**


	13. Finally!

**Welcome Readers, and YAH for the new chapter.**

**Yes, Beastboy and Raven actually are going on their date! I mean, how could I possible delay this any longer? (smiles).**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"Rae?" Beastboy asked, leaning close to her door, "Sorry I'm late. You haven't already found another date, have you?" 

His question was met with a momentary silence before he heard her soft foot steps coming toward the door. He smiled, standing back some and tugging at the end of his jacket, or rather, Robin's jacket.

_'This is it, a date with Raven,'_ he told himself, _'I can so do this.'_

The door slid open and Beastboy instantly froze at the sight before him.

_'whoa'_

Raven was wearing a mid-night blue shirt with a v-neck collar, the fabric clinging nicely to her well developed figure. Over top the shirt she sported a light Levi jacket, a scarf wrapped around the collar striped with two shades of blue; one matching the color of her shirt, and the other a shade lighter to match the small purse clutched in her hand. Her shoes were simply sneakers and were barely visible due to the flare at the bottom of her nicely fitted jeans.

Beastboy, still in a daze, let his eyes wander up her body until he found her face. Her hair stopped just at the top of her shoulders, and he smiled at the fact that she had let it grow out some. Her face held it's delicate features, beautiful violet eyes and soft kissable lips that...

Beastboy blinked and blushed, he was just standing there staring at her like some kind of creepy stalker guy.

_'I'm such an idiot'_ he inwardly groaned, but only then did he notice that Raven's cheeks had tinted a small shade of pink as well.

Beastboy grinned, she had been staring him over the entire time too. He could never guess why though, everything he had on was entirely simply; sneakers, jeans, a dark maroon t-shirt and a black jacket. The only thing about his ensemble that expressed any kind of personal touch was his belt buckle, which had the face of a wolf on the front, and his usual silver gloves.

Raven tucked some of her hair behind her ear and shifted her weight self-consciously.

"Um..." Beastboy tried to form words but it seemed incredibly difficult to come up with something to accurately describe how he felt.

"You look nice," Raven stated in a soft voice.

Beastboy grinned stupidly.

_'Hello?! Earth to Beastboy, this is your brain speaking. Say something!!'_

"OH..uh Thanks. You look..a..absolutely.." he stammered, "Completely...perfectly...wow."

Raven smiled awkwardly. "Thank you."

Beastboy cleared his throat.

"Guess we should...uh..get going then," he said.

"That would probably be a good idea," Raven replied. "Unless you just want to stand here all night"

It was meant as a light joke, but Beastboy was almost certain he could stand there forever with her.

"Yeah," Beastboy chuckled and then offered his arm to her with a playful smile. "Shall we go m'lady?"

It was a date, that he understood, but he was still surprised when Raven smiled and locked her arm with his.

_'Double whoa'_

"I guess we're leaving from the roof then," She said to him, since it was obvious that was where they were already headed.

"Yeah, the roof, good," Beastboy nodded, still unable to look away.

Raven could feel his gaze on her, but couldn't seem to get herself to look back. She was still a little nervous about the whole thing, but she tried not to let it show.

She felt Beastboy slow to a stop, and she glanced over at him questioningly.

"Um..Rae," he said, an embarrassed smile on his face. "I think we may have a problem."

She felt her stomach tighten slightly, and she slowly pulled her arm away from his as he looked to the ground.

"What?" the question came out in a calm and monotone voice, completely betraying her inner anxiety.

"Well..heh," he blushed. "I'm not sure I can fly there in these clothes."  
Raven blinked, her stomach easing. Why did she allow herself to get so worked up?

She also couldn't help but smile inside at the fact that they had both over looked such an important detail.

"So...only your uniform changes with you then?" she asked.

She had always found that strange about Beastboy's powers, his uniform seemed to just change with him, completely disappearing from sight and reappearing when he was back in human form. Normal clothes, however, did not always hold the same effect.

"It's sorta complicated," Beastboy admitted bashfully. "There's still a good chance that the pants and shirt may change, but if it didn't then..uh.."

Raven blushed, knowing what he was trying to say.

"There's always plan B." she offered.

Beastboy frowned.

"Aw man, is plan B walking?" he asked in a whining voice.

She smiled hesitantly. "No"

"Oh." Beastboy looked up at her, understanding her meaning.

"I know it's not your favorite means of travel," She said somewhat disheartened, "But-"

"No Rae, it's fine," Beastboy reassured her with a cheerful face. "I love your black energy power thingy."

Raven crossed her arms and gave him a disbelieving look.

"Okay, okay," he said in slight defeat. "It gives me the willys,...but it beats walking"

She smiled ever so slightly. "You'll get use to it."

Beastboy grinned and grabbed Raven's hand.

"Well, what are waiting for?" he asked, "Lets go."

Raven nodded and closed her eyes, it would take a large amount of focus to get them there from this distance; but it was worth the trouble.

"Azerath...Metrion...Zinthos."

Behind her closed eyes she felt the light drain away, the cool burst of energy forming around the two. Beastboy drew closer to her form and his hand squeezed hers tighter, Raven smiled and returned the gesture; though not out of fear. She did her best to remain focused on her location, knowing she was moving through shadows and drawing closer to her destination. This task seemed even more difficult when she felt Beastboy's other hand swiftly drape around her waist and move down toward her...

"Owf!"

They both landed with a harsh thud on the cold concrete walkway, somewhere past the park. Raven frowned and looked over at Beastboy who, like her, was sitting on his butt and looking far from comfortable.

"Ow man," Beastboy groaned softly and rubbed his lower back. "That is definitely going to take some getting use to."  
He caught Raven's frown almost instantly though and was up on his feet, looking fairly guilty.

"You okay?" He asked reaching a gloved hand out to her.

"Sorry." She apologized, grabbing his hand and pulling herself up.

"You're sorry?" he said looking surprised, "You should totally be kicking my butt right now."

"Excuse me?" Raven asked dubiously.

Beastboy looked down, guilty and ashamed.

"I kinda just..made a move back there," he admitted sheepishly. "Since I didn't think you'd notice with it being all dark, and you having your eyes closed, I.."

"I can still feel," She informed him, with slight disapproval in her voice, "And I do need to concentrate in order to use my powers."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that out when we landed," he said with a weak smile. "I probably have the bruise to prove it too."

He sighed and frowned deeply. "Sorry."

_'I'm such an idiot'_ he inwardly groaned _'Only I could ruin a date before it even started. Stupid hormones!'_  
Raven studied him for a moment, not certain what she should be feeling. Ashamed that she had let such a little thing distract her, angry that he had tried to take advantage of the opportunity, or flattered that he had wanted to..to touch her.

_'He's a guy,' _Knowledge stated,_ 'And just like any other guy, he tried to make a move.' _

_'He's got guts',_ Bravery agreed, _'But we need to put him in his place.' _

_'6 feet under, if you ask me,'_ Anger huffed.

_'Don't listen to Ole' grumpy butt,'_ happy said, '_It was all in good fun.' _

Raven couldn't even decide which emotion was fighting for more control over her in that moment, but the guilty frown on Beastboy's face as he traced his boot on the concrete ground made her want to smile.

_'He's so cute when he looks guilty,'_ love giggled, _'You can't possibly be mad at him, especially since you know you liked it.' _

_'At least he was honest with you,'_ Wisdom noted, _'Honesty is very important.'_

Raven shook her head, trying to clear her mind of the chatter.

She looked to Beastboy and took in a deep breath.

"Apology accepted."

Beastboy's head shot up, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Really?"

"Really," Raven nodded with a small smirk, "But you can keep the bruise."

Beastboy rubbed his lower back while smiling. "Deal!"

Blinking he looked around.

"So...we close to the restaurant?" he asked.

"Yes, actually." Raven calmly told him. "It's not far from here."

"Good," he sighed in relief. "I can handle walking if it's okay with you."

"Agreed," Raven nodded as she hesitantly held out her hand.

_'It's a date, I'm not expecting too much, am I?'_ she wondered.

Beastboy grinned, cupped her hand in his, and took off.

"This is going to be great Rae, you'll see. I'll be on my best behavior, and you won't even have to yell at me once tonight," he told her while quickly walking forward, "It'll be the most awesome date you've ever had, and-"

"Beastboy," Raven interjected.

"Yeah, Rae?" Beastboy looked back at her and smiled.

"Do you have any idea where you're going?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Um," Beastboy stopped and tried to look sure of himself. "Yeah, of course I do."

Raven eyed him doubtfully, and Beastboy grinned nervously.

"But, ya know, if you wanna lead the way..," he offered sheepishly.

"I think I should," she stated. "Let's start by going in the other direction."

Beastboy blushed as she turned to the right and pulled him along by his hand.

"Sure, sounds good," he nodded, adding in a slight shrug, "That is, if you wanna go the short way."

Raven concealed her grin as they went on.

When they finally arrived in front of the small cafe like restaurant, Beastboy could understand why many people might have overlooked it. It seemed to be located farther back then most of the other buildings on the street, almost completely hidden within the ally. The neon red sign above the entrance flashed the words 'The Spot' and the simplicity of the name made Beastboy wonder what had attracted Raven to it in the first place.

"The Spot?"

Catching the look on the changelings face Raven answered simply. "I was curious."

She blushed slightly at the confession and Beastboy grinned even more.

"Besides," She added. "They serve tea."

"Well...we're here, and it is cold out," he noted, "And I bet you could really use a cup right about now; so allow me."

He moved forward and opened the door, bowing slightly as Raven walked inside.

He followed after her and took in his surrounding almost instantly. It was cozy, a round bar like table was set in the center, empty stools surrounding its counter. Smaller round tables were placed around the room, a few of them occupied by people sipping coffee or eating a light meal, no one bothering to even look up at the two as they walked further inside.

The ceiling was high, and dim lights hung down around the room, casting shadows to the corners. He noticed that a stage was set on the far end of the small cafe, but it seemed unoccupied by anyone at the moment. Altogether the place was fairly small, but everything was positioned to give it a roomy feel.

He felt Raven pull him over to one of the small near-by tables, and snapped out of his daze. He smiled and jumped ahead of her to pull out a seat.

Raven raised an eyebrow at the gesture, it was completely unnecessary but...

_'He's such a gentleman'_ love sighed.

"Thank you," She said, taking her seat.

Beastboy took the chair in front of her, pushed the small vase of flowers in the center to the side, and smiled.

Raven slowly removed her Levi coat and allowed it to hang on the back of her chair along with her scarf, now revealing the shirts thin straps and Raven's bare arms. Beastboy placed his elbow on the table and rested his head in his hand, smiling fondly over at her.

Catching the look, Raven blushed and rubbed her upper arms self-consciously.

"You really do look great tonight, Rae" Beastboy told her.

He seemed to catch himself almost instantly, sitting straight up in his chair.

"Uh, I mean, not that you don't look great ever night, cause you do," he added hastily, "And not just at night either, but mornings and evenings and-"

"I understand," she let him know, prompting a sigh of relief from the changeling.

"Good, cause I was starting to panic," he replied light-heartily.

_'Glad I'm not the only one who's still nervous'_ Raven thought.

"Good Evening, what can I get ya?" came a voice to his side.

He looked over at a young women, maybe in her early 20's, her brown hair was held in a high ponytail and she was holding a small notepad and pen. She wore a red and white skirt that stopped just at her knees and a matching shirt with the name tag 'Becky' penned on the front. Her blue eyes were glued to the notepad as she waited for a reply, not bothering to even look up at them, but smiling happily.

"Um...I haven't really got a chance to see the menu yet," Beastboy replied just now noticing the small folded paper that had been under the vase.

"Okay then," the waitress replied cheerfully as she looked up. "I'll just come back whe-"

She stopped, her eyes wide. Beastboy smiled, sure that she was excited about seeing two of the city's hero's. Still, the thought of her asking for an autograph or drawing attention to them didn't bode well. He ran the possibilities through his head when...

"Raven, is that you?" the girl asked. "I haven't seen you here in weeks."

Beastboy blinked, looking from Raven and then back to the waitress.

"Been busy," Raven replied simply, though a slight smile crossed her face.

_'Raven, being friendly'_ Beastboy thought.

"I'll bet," the waitress beamed, "But what's with the get-up?"

Raven blushed lightly, "Just thought I'd wear something a little nicer is all."

The waitress, Becky, then looked over to Beastboy. He smiled and gave a small wave of acknowledgment and Becky looked back and forth at the two before a wide grin spread on her face.

"Oh, I see," she replied mischievously, "You have been busy, haven't you?"

Raven and Beastboy both blushed.

"And I wonder why I come here," Raven dryly stated, as she sent Becky a slight frown.

Becky ignored the comment and turned to Beastboy.

"It's no wonder Raven was in such a good mood last time," she said. "You must be one very special guy."

"Um...thanks" Beastboy blushed.

"And cute too," Becky beamed, "Better watch out Raven or someone might try and steal him from you."

Beastboy looked disbelievingly at the waitress and then to Raven, who looked embarrassed and slightly tweaked.

Becky laughed slightly at their reactions.

"So...Should I give you two some time alone?" she asked.

Raven rolled her eyes. "I'll have the usual."

Becky smiled and wrote it down. "And what about you, cutie?"

"Uh..me?" Beastboy asked looking lost. "Uh...yeah, I'll have the same. And a salad too."

"Sure thing," Becky grinned, winking at him as she walked off.

Beastboy looked over at his date in complete confusion.

"So...come here often, huh?" Beastboy grinned slightly.

"Not as often as you might think," Raven admitted.

"Enough to make friends with the waitress though," he noted with an amused but questioning expression, "Becky?"

"She's actually the part time owner," Raven stated, "But she makes it her personal job to get to know her costumers, and eventually I relented."

"Whoa, hold it! It took me like over a year to get you to say more than three words to me," Beastboy recalled, "She must have been working overtime."

"You have no idea," Raven rolled her eyes, recalling the constant array of questions Becky had thrown at her, the small one-sided talks, and her unwavering friendly demeanor.

Beastboy grinned, "Ya know, if you didn't make it so hard, you'd have tons of friends Rae."

Raven looked down at her table and Beastboy frowned.

"Uh..I didn't mean for it to sound like that," he told her. "It's just that you're a wonderful person, and you should try and let everyone see that."

_'Did that sound as lame as I think it did'_ Beastboy wondered.

"Anyone who isn't willing to try to be my friend," Raven stated coolly, "Isn't worth my time."

"True," Beastboy nodded, "But that's really a two way deal.You can't expect someone to be your friend if you don't act like theirs."

Raven looked up at him, knowing that what he said was true. He really was a lot smarter than anyone ever gave him credit for, herself included. Strangely enough though, what he said didn't really apply to the way their relationship had started out. Raven had made no attempt to be Beastboy's friend in the beginning, but he never stopped trying to be hers. It made her wonder what would have happened if she had tried harder, or if Beastboy had let himself be discouraged by her behavior. It would have made things so much different between the two, either way.

"You're right,"

"I am?" Beastboy looked stunned, "Really?"

Raven nodded. "It's definitely something I need to work on."

And she meant it, she wondered if he knew how much. She had wasted a lot of her time being afraid to let others get close to her, but now that Trigon was gone, and her future her own, she didn't have to continue to live her life like that.

_'Not anymore' _she thought, _'I can have a fresh start.'_

Beastboy grinned. "Guess I'm lucky that I'm so persistent then," he said, "Or you might have never gone out with me."

"That would make me the lucky one," Raven corrected, shyly looking to the side, she had never been in a situation where she felt the need to be so honest, and Beastboy was very strange about accepting compliments.

Beastboy blushed. "Rae...can I ask you something?"

She looked up, caught instantly in Beastboy's meaningful gaze.

"I was just wondering..."

"Here you two go!" Becky chirped in, setting two small plates in front of them.

Beastboy looked down curiously, "What did I order?"

Raven rolled her eyes but smiled, "Same as me, remember?"

"Uh..yeah," he nodded confused, "But is this...cake?"

"Strawberry banana cake with a little ice cream on the side," Raven answered, enjoying Beastboy's surprised expression. "Even I can't live on tea alone."

_'Wow'_ Beastboy thought smiling up at her, _'Raven's full of surprises.'_

"And here's your salad, sweety," Becky said setting it down beside his other plate, "If you two need anything just holler."

She started to walk away but turned, "By the way Raven, that out-fit looks great on you girl."

Raven looked down and blushed modestly as Becky walked off.

"She's right ya know," Beastboy grinned up at her, "Did you get that shopping the other day? You sure were gone a long time."

"Starfire helped me pick it out," Raven told him looking back up. "Didn't realize we spent so much time there, though."

"I couldn't help but notice," he said blushing, but recovering instantly, "Um, so, you actually had a good time?"

"Surprising yes," Raven admitted, "But she's not getting me into anything pink anytime soon."

Beastboy laughed, "Knowing Starfire, it's not from lack of trying, right."

The conversation went on, and Raven found herself more and more at ease. At first she had been afraid that they would sit in awkward silence, glancing at each other and blushing the entire night until they realized they had absolutely nothing in common. Raven was even more surprised that she was the one doing most of the talking, and Beastboy nodding and smiling and asking questions.

_'He's really interested in what I have to say' _she thought, being able to tell when Beastboy was feigning interest in something.

Still, she had always enjoyed a two-way conversation as apposed to the current one-sided one, especially if she was the one who had to keep talking.

She looked down at her plate, poking her already half eaten cake with her fork as a moment of silence went between them. She allowed herself to look up slightly and notice that Beastboy hadn't touched his salad, and his cake was messy but uneaten; he had merely been using his fork to play with it as they talked.

"Something wrong?" she asked looking up at him.

"Huh, whadda ya mean?" He asked looking down at himself and tugging at his jacket.

"You haven't touched your food," Raven stated, using her fork to gesture down at his meal.

"Oh," he looked down. "Guess I'm not that h-"

His belly grumbled and he blushed as he placed his hand over it.

"Hungry?" Raven guessed with a bemused expression.

"Heh, maybe a little" he admitted with a slight smile, "But I'll probably just grab a snack when we get back home."

Honestly, despite the growl of his stomach, the thought of eating made him almost sick.

"When was the last time you ate?" Raven asked, curious.

"Well it was..um," Beastboy placed his hands on his lap and looked off to the side in thought.

He turned his head back to Raven and raised an eyebrow, "Yesterday?"

Raven's eyes widened slightly, "You haven't eaten anything since yesterday?"

"Not since before we had that practice," he recalled. "I had that tofu-dog, remember?"

"Yes, I do," Raven nodded, though still looking lost, "But that was early. You really haven't had anything to eat since then?"

Beastboy shifted in his chair, finding Raven's concern slightly unnerving. Was there really something wrong with skipping a few meals?

"Well, after you agreed to go out with me, I was too excited to eat," Beastboy confessed, "And I slept through breakfast this morning and just, well, wasn't all that hungry."

"And your excuse now is?" Raven asked folding her arms and waiting for Beastboy's response.

"Uh, well, we were talking," Beastboy answered with a nervous shrug. "Besides, it's cold now."  
"It's a salad and a piece of cake," Raven stated dryly. "It's suppose to be cold."

"Heh..good one, Rae," Beastboy smiled nervously, "But really I'm not-"

His belly growled again and he gritted his teeth and mentally cursed his stomach for betraying him.

"Eat. Now." Raven told him with a stern frown.

Beastboy sighed, his ears drooping slightly. "Yes mam."

He picked up his other fork, hunched over his plate, and began nibbling at his salad.

Smiling in slight satisfaction, Raven let herself settle into the warm comfort that came with Beastboy's company. She had never been on a date before, but she couldn't imagine ever being with someone who made her feel so completely at peace.

Hesitant at first, she reached her hand across the table and let it rest on top of Beastboy's arm, which was laying on the counter while his other hand was being used to shovel the salad into his mouth.

He tensed for a moment and tilted his head up, eyes wide and a piece of lettuce hanging out of his mouth from the bite he had just taken. He looked down and, while cross-eyed and blushing, he swallowed it and smiled sheepishly up at her.

She let her smile grow slightly as Beastboy set his fork down, straightened his posture, and smiling gently placed his hand over hers; an action that also caused a slight blush to tint her otherwise pale face, and her heart to quicken.

This would be a moment that they could look back on and say they knew everything was going to be fine, a moment that would lay all those insecurities and doubts to rest and pave the way for more memorable and happy moments to come, but most importantly it was a moment that should not have been interrupted...

The door to the restaurant swung open with unusual force, and Beastboy and Raven both tensed; Raven looking up and Beastboy glancing over his shoulder.

"Dude, you have gotta be kidding me" Beastboy groaned, Raven adopting a similar look of exasperation and disdain on her face.

The wide figure standing in the door way laughed.

"Yes, it is I," he announced dramatically, thrusting his fists into the air, "Control Freak!"

* * *

**Yes, I had to split this up into two parts, but I'll try and make it worth the wait. You'll just have to be satified with this for now.**

**Regarding the story itself, I mean, MY GOSH. Control Freak? Can you think of a more annoying villian to interfere? I think not. Also, it's a villian that Beastboy and Raven should be able to handle on their own. Not that they have a choice; in case you didn't catch it, Raven lost track of her purse during their little fall, and Beastboy doesn't have his communicator with him either.**

**Beastboy: Oh come on, who takes a communicator on a date with them.**

**As for the waitress, Becky, I can't say for sure if she was inspired by anyone particular. The name, however, is my moms; not that I'd let her know I did that, but her personality is her own. She may come off as a bit of a flirt in this but she's just got plenty of spirit.**

**The next chapter, though I haven't started on it yet, will have some humor and a lot more fluff. YAH FLUFF.**

**Please leave me a review, let me know if I did alright; since I was all avoidant of the whole date thing to begin with (Shifty eyes). Heh...LATER. YOU GUYS ROCK!!**


	14. officially what?

**Yep, here it is!! I thank everyone who is still reading this, cause only you keep me going!! **

**As for this chapter, I apologize about my lack of details when concerning Control Freak. It's very hard to find a decent profile about the guy and I've only seen him in the cartoon for a little bit. Still, I tried my best.**

**But this isn't about Control Freak (Thank goodness), no, this is about Beastboy and Raven. YAH! (Cheers all around)**

**So please enjoy the rest of their date!!**

* * *

Groaning again, Beastboy turned to look at Raven, forcing a weak smile onto his face. 

"Heh, maybe he's just stopping by for a bite to eat," he suggested lamely.

"Now, bow before my greatness," Control Freak bellowed, holding a flashlight under his chin, and then uttering darkly, "Or face my villainous wrath!"

Beastboy, back turned to the scene, visibly flinch at the words. Raven sighed, adopting a dull but weary look on her face.

"I have a strange feeling that he's not here for the cake" She replied dryly, and Beastboy gave a grim nod in return.

Raven was the first to act, standing up from her seat and taking on a defensive position; clenched hands held up slightly in preparation to fight and a small, though slightly annoyed, frown on her face. Beastboy looked up at Raven's dominant stance and found himself smiling again, everything about Raven seemed to entrance him. He was sure that she wasn't entirely comfortable with what she was wearing, her arms and neck exposed by her shirt, and no hood to cover her face; yet, despite her current attire, she took to the fight as if it were nothing. That had always been a strength of Raven's though, her ability to look passed her own discomforts to help those in need, and even before he realized he had deeper feelings for the Empath, it was something he had always admired about her. Raven was truly...amazing. He could not help but be baffled by his own stupidity though; How could he have not noticed before? Had he really been that blind?

Raven looked over at him, lifting an eyebrow in expectation.

"Well?" Raven asked, trying to sound impatient but failing; finding the look he was currently giving her meaningful.

Beastboy blinked and his smile slowly formed into a frown.

"Aw man, do we have to?" he whined, breaking through the intensity that had just lingered between them.

Raven sent him a disapproving frown and he mumbled a faint 'fine' as he grudgingly stood up.

The only question in Beastboy's mind at that point was 'why?'. Why did the universe hate him? Had he done something wrong? Why, in the name of all that is good, could he not just have a normal date?

Raven had similar thoughts on her mind at that moment, but unlike Beastboy, who would rather not contemplate the answers, she was sure. _'Because...'_ she told herself '_We're not normal'_.

She found her gaze travel back toward Control Freak, who had taken these moments to ramble on about his supposed evil plan. Raven and Beastboy had missed most of the epilogue but knew it held little importance.

"And soon you will all be my servants," Control Freak babbled, "And I will rein supreme as ruler of 'Control Freak's Empire'!"

He then started to laugh manically, while most of the costumers gave him strange looks.

"Lacking originality, don't you think?" Came Raven's dry retort as she made her way into view.

Control freak stopped laughing and his eyes widened slightly.

"Dude, seriously," Beastboy said stepping up beside her. "You could have put a little more thought into it. I mean, who'd want to serve an empire with a dorky name like that?"

"Hey! That's a great name." Control Freak argued. "It lets everyone know who's in charge! What would you have called it, huh?!"

Beastboy looked thoughtful for a moment, tapping a finger to his chin.

"Hmmm, maybe...'The remote Empire', no, 'The Empire of Control'...no, no..how 'bout.."

"Argh, it doesn't matter what it's called," Raven said. "There isn't going to be an Empire!"

Control Freak smirked.

"Ha! That's where you're wrong!" he replied, pulling a well-known device from his side, "With my new and improved universal remote, anything is possible."

Raven sighed, "You say that every time."

"She's got a point there," Beastboy added, seeming unconcerned with the so-called villain.

"No she doesn't," Control freak argued. "This remote is top of the line, new and improved, never been used before and.."

"Are we going to fight or not?" Raven asked in a plain but slightly agitated voice.

"Oh right," Beastboy nodded, slipping back into his stance.

He smirked confidently, deciding what form he should take first.

_'I'll just change into a...Wait a minute...'_ he looked down at his out-fit. _'Okay..not good'_

"Uh...Rae?"

Raven glanced over at him from the corner of her eyes, his face frowning down at his clothes. She had, just like him, forgotten about that minor detail.

"Don't worry," she told him her eyes turning back toward Control Freak. "I can handle this."

Beastboy's frown deepened, he hated having to stand on the side-lines, and he especially hated feeling like he had failed Raven. She could handle Control Freak, he was certain of that, but everything inside him wanted to fight for her.

Control Freak smiled.

"You Titans don't stand a chance," he told them. "I can see right through your disguise."

Beastboy quirked an eyebrow._ 'Disguise?'_

"What disguise?" Raven asked, confused.

"Ha! You think you can fool me?!" he grinned. "You Titans obviously knew where I would strike first, so you and Beastboy where sent undercover to catch me. We'll battle for awhile and, right when I think I've won, the others will come charging in, taking me down in my weak and over-confident state."

"Dude, that doesn't make any sense at all" Beastboy said, looking strangely at the villain.

"Of course it does," Control Freak replied. "It's basic Villain and Hero stuff, everyone knows that."

Beastboy opened his mouth to argue his point, whatever it may have been, but Raven intervened. She was growing tired of the interruption.

"Azerath Metrion Zinthos!"

Raven raised her right hand up, black energy soaring out in a powerful stream toward the villain. He smirked with determination, raising his remote and pressing down. The black energy halted before him and he relished at the surprised look on Raven's face as he sent it flying back at her.

Surprised, Raven still managed to dodge her own attack, moving swiftly to the side and bumping shoulders with Beastboy. He gave her a sheepish grin.

"Um, I could give it a go," He told her hesitantly. "If you want, I mean, what's a couple of rips and tares."

Raven frowned. "I can handle it."

Beastboy smile faltered and he shrugged. "If you're sure."

"Ha!" Control Freak pointed his remote out. "You've become your own worst enemy!"

_'Okay...The bragging is really annoying'_ Raven glared.

Beastboy watched as Control Freak aimed his remote at several of the tables and chairs, which immediately came to life; evil cartoon-like eyes, sharpened teeth, and all. They came stalking toward the two, while most of the customers screamed and made their way into hiding spots or backed themselves into a corner.

Beastboy clenched his hands into fists, just because his current situation enabled him from transforming didn't mean he couldn't still fight; and at least give Raven an opportunity to get the remote. That was all it ever took to stop Control Freak, after he lost his precious device he was completely powerless; which is exactly why they considered him more of a nuisance than a villain.

Beastboy charged forward, fighting back tables and chairs as Raven tried to use her powers to steal Control Freak's remote. However, the onslaught of the once inanimate objects was preventing her from getting too close and Control Freak continued to block her attacks with just the click of a button.

This was getting a little too serious for Beastboy's liking, and he found himself wishing that the others really were outside waiting to strike, just as Control Freak believed. His knuckles were beginning to ache, and he was almost sure that there wasn't this many chairs when he came in, as he continued to fight them off in his current form.

It was becoming increasing noisy as well; Control freak's laughter, the sound of breaking chairs and tables (as well as some added dishes), and the distant screams of a several frightened customers was beginning to give him a headache.

He paused, breathing heavy, fists throbbing as yet more objects surrounded them.

_'Okay...that's it!' _he closed his eyes tight.

"STOP!"

And much to his surprise it did, the objects halted, the noises died, and when he opened his eyes everyone was starring. Raven's hands where still aflame with energy and Control Freak still had his remote raised toward her, but each had stopped to look questioningly over at him.

Beastboy shook off the slight uneasiness of the stares and stepped forward.

"Okay," he said taking a deep breath and looking over at Control Freak. "I have some questions."

Raven continued to look over at her date in absolute confusion, surprised at how the heat of the battle had simply died away and Control Freak was actually regarding the changeling with an intently curious expression; only Beastboy could possibly cause this kind of reaction.

Raven found her shoulders easing and her hands lowering, she still kept her stance hovering a few feet in the air, but she was considerably less tense.

"First off," Beastboy continued, a serious expression on his face, "How did you get out of Prison?"

It was a valid question, and Raven admitted that she was curious herself, but before Control Freak could answer Beastboy continued.

"Secondly," He said counting off two fingers with one hand, and now sounding more annoyed, "Where did you get that remote? I mean, really, how many time's have we taken it from you? Do you have warehouse full or something?"

Another valid question, Raven mused.

"Thirdly," Beastboy listed and at this point he let out a long sigh. "Why Here of all places? Why can't you just rob a bank like everyone else?"

He was sounding a bit whiny now, but the question, again, was reasonable.

"And fourthly," he said, slumping forward and pouting, "Duuude, why couldn't you wait til tomorrow? You're totally ruining my date."

Up until this point Control Freak had actually been smiling, fully ready to boast about his escape from jail and his ingenious retrieval of the remote, which would eventually lead to his entire pathetically evil plan. However, at the very mention of the word 'date' his expression changed. At first it was blank, as if not believing he had heard the changeling correctly, and then his gaze shifted between the two.

"Wait a second," he said, eyes wide. "You two are here on a date?"

"Duh!" Beastboy said. "Of course we are,...right Rae?"

He looked over his shoulder for conformation, his expression becoming slightly doubtful. Raven looked from him to Control Freak and nodded.

Control Freak blinked and then looked at the two again, the silence was almost deafening before...

"Hahahahaha"

"You almost - had me there," He gasped for breath, "Pfft..you and Raven- on a date? Yeah, right."

Beastboy frowned indignantly. "Dude it's true!"

"You think-haha- I'd let my guard down-ha- that easy," He said, "To believe a crazy story like that. I mean, Robin and Starfire? Now that makes sense, but you two? "

He laughed some more and Raven imitated Beastboy expression. Was it really that hard to believe?

"I mean, really," Control Freak laughed as he continued again. "Beastboy, the puny jokester of the group, and Raven, the dark emotionless goth, together!"  
"Hey!" the both yelled in unison, defending both themselves and each other.

_'I'm not puny and Raven's not emotionless' _Beastboy glared. '_He doesn't know what he's talking about'_

"Like a guy like you could even stand a chance with someone like Raven," he said. "That's the craziest thing I've ever heard. She's so out of your league."

Beastboy clenched his hands into fists. Control Freak probably didn't even know what a date was, and so it was more than a little infuriating for him to say anything to Beastboy on the matter. Okay, yeah...it did sound crazy, and maybe Beastboy didn't deserve Raven, but that didn't change the fact that they were there. Him with her.

"I got lucky" Beastboy said under his breath, just barely loud enough for Raven to hear.

She frowned, Beastboy still didn't think very much of himself.

_'Maybe...we can change that'_ Love replied.

Raven took a deep breathe, she had used more energy then she had thought with just the short trip from the tower to the edge of the park; but how was she to predict something like this would happen. She turned to look at Control Freak, practically snorting with laughter still. Frowning, she clenched her hands and raised them up for attack when...

"Shut Up!" Beastboy yelled.

He ran forward, and Raven barely caught the switch between his human form and that of a Rhino, which was now charging at Control Freak. The jacket he was wearing ripped completely and she was sure that other parts of his clothing had suffered during the change as well. The contact was made, knocking Control Freak back into the wall, and the remote harmlessly falling to the ground. The objects around them imitated this, careless falling limp and lifeless to the floor.

Taking the opportunity, Raven used her powers to levitate the microphone stand on the stage over toward the two. Control Freak was slumped on the floor rubbing his sore head when he felt the stand coil around his form, the cord serving as addition rope, and he was bound. He wriggled and grunted in a futile effort to break free before giving up.

Beastboy slowly turned back into his human form, his shirt was ripped around it's collar and at the edges of his sleeves, with small additional tares of fabric on the shirts chest and back. His pants now looked more like long shorts, stopping at his knees, with ripped fabric hanging down.

His expression was still set in anger, hunched forward, brows furrowed and teeth clenched. He straightened his posture suddenly, hands down at his sides and took in a deep breath through his nose.

"Not so funny now, is it?" He asked.

Raven froze at the sound of Beastboy's voice, so un-like him, it was harsh and low; threatening. Raven didn't think it was possible for Beastboy's voice to ever reach such a tone.

Raven stepped over toward him, hesitating before placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. He tensed for a moment and then relaxed, sighing.

"I know, " Beastboy said, his voice normal as he gave her a slight smile, "I shouldn't get so worked up over it."

Raven looked back at him in mild surprise, Beastboy had known exactly what she had been thinking, and that caused a comforting warmth to rise in her chest.

"But really, Control Freak!" Beastboy emphasized. "It was so worth ripping my clothes just to shut him up."

Raven felt the corner of her mouth turn up into a small smile.

"All things considered," Raven replied in a content voice. "I'd say it was a pretty good first date."

Beastboy looked surprised but pleased by her comment. He smiled warmly, opening his mouth to respond when..

"YOU MEAN THE TWO OF YOU ARE ACTUALLY ON A DATE!" Control Freak yelled, having been listening to the conversation with wide-eyed curiosity.

Beastboy growled, turning his attention back to their immobile enemy.

"Dude! I already told you that!"

"Yeah but I never thought, I mean, this is, Whoa," The villain grinned madly. "Wait til the rest of the on-line geek community hears about this! It's a like a modern day Beauty and the Beast, only with super powers and...Mmmmhmm.."

Black energy formed around Control Freaks mouth preventing him from continuing his rant.

"Okay," Raven stated with a small smirk. "Now it's perfect."

"Serves him right for calling you names, huh?" Beastboy grinned slyly over at her.

Raven looked over at him and glared _'You can't be serious'. _

Beastboy chuckled nervously.

"Relax Rae, I'm kidding" he said. "You're totally the picture of Beauty, and I'm...uh"

He paused, suddenly finding the sentence difficult to finish.

_'The Beast' _

Raven frowned questioningly at Beastboy's hesitant and slightly fearful expression.

"I mean, I'm uh," Beastboy stuttered nervously.

"The prince in disguise?" Raven offered.

"Y..yeah, the prince," Beastboy nodded and grinned nervously, "Lets go with that."

"Guess we should start heading back to the tower," Raven said in neutral tone, her hand falling back down to her side.

"Huh, Why?" Beastboy asked.

Raven looked over at him.

"I just figured you'd want to...change clothes," She said, "And the cops will probably be here any minute so.."

"No way Rae," Beastboy grinned with determination "I'm not gonna let some second rate bad guy ruin our date."

"Beastboy, the place is mess," Raven noted. "What reason could..."

Her question faded in her throat as soft music began to play. Both Raven and Beastboy looked around before finally spotting the source. A small stereo was placed upon the half destroyed counter in the middle of the room, Becky turned the volume up and looked up at them. By the smile on her face, you would never have guessed that her Restaurant had just been attacked. She casually leaned forward and folded her arms on the counter, giving them a small wink.

Beastboy grinned slowly, catching her meaning and turning to Raven.

"May I have this dance m'lady?" He asked with a small formal bow.

Raven looked at him strangely, caught between uncertainty and plain refusal.

"Beastboy.." She replied, a slight warning in her tone.

"Come on Rae, please?" He grinned hopefully. "Just one dance before the police show up and ruin the fun?"

_'Does he even know how weird that sounds?'_ she wondered.

"I don't dance" She replied looking away, uncomfortable, "Besides, people will...stare."

Beastboy blinked and then let out a short laugh.  
"Well Duh, I mean, I'm in rags, and you look gorgeous," Beastboy replied with a lighthearted smile, "I'd be worried if people weren't starring. Besides, this place is practically deserted anyway."

She looked around, yes a few people remained, gathering up their things and trying to resume the evening as normal, but for the most past the place was empty.She sighed, how was it that Beastboy could act so shy and self-conscience around her but not care to make a complete fool of himself in public. She wasn't like him though, she didn't want people to notice her, she didn't like the attention, she wasn't that brave.

"Control Freak really knows how to clear a room, huh?" Beastboy laughed some.

Raven almost smiled at the remark, but at the last second decided against it. Beastboy looked down, frowning at Raven's obvious discomfort. It wasn't him, or at least he assured himself, it was everyone else that made her uneasy. Still, the room could be full of people and Beastboy wouldn't have noticed a thing, the only one that mattered to him was Raven; he just wished she felt the same.

"Um, ya know what, lets forget the dance" Beastboy said, hoping to clear the air around them.

Slightly startled Raven looked up, Beastboy's eyes refusing to meet hers until he heard a response.

Why was she doing this, why was she letting herself get worked up again? Beastboy was being so...wonderful, and she couldn't even get through one dance with him. Why?

_'People are watching..'_ Timid reminded her. '_Everyone's l..looking at us. W..what will they think?' _

_'That you're here with a major hunk, that's what!'_ Bravery boasted.

"Beastboy, it's not that I don't want to dance with you," She admitted hesitantly. "It's just...I'm not use to this."

Beastboy finally looked into her eyes, feeling foolish and more than a little guilty. Of course Raven wasn't use to this, she had only recently began to allow herself to express emotion, and Beastboy was only making things harder.

"That's okay Rae. We'll take it one step at a time, no dance pun intended," he told her with an encouraging smile, "I guess I just wasn't thinking, I mean, I'm pretty use to people starring at me."

Despite his lighthearted tone, as soon as he said that, she felt ashamed of herself. It wasn't as if Beastboy could pull a cloak over his head and hide himself away from the world like she had done for so long, but Raven had gotten so use to being around Beastboy, that she had never thought to look at him from someone elses perspective. His appearance, though far from unattractive, was still very different. It was probably very rare that he walked into a place without receiving some kind of look, and she wondered if he simply did not mind or if he had just grown accustomed to it.

"Beastboy, I'm sorry," She replied in a low tone "I'm not being very fair to you."  
"Whadda ya mean?" He asked, stepping back to get a better look at her face.

"I have a tendency to over-think things," She said looking him in the eye, "It's something else I'll need to work on."

"Yeah, but then you wouldn't be you, Rae," he told her teasingly, and then added sincerely, "And I like you being you."

Raven rolled her eyes, though still touched by the sincerity of his words.

"The songs almost over," She stated. "Are we going to dance or not?"

Surprised, Beastboy nodded eagerly and stepped toward her, taking her left hand in his right and laying his other hand on her hip. Raven drew slightly closer and placed her right hand on his shoulder. The music was slow and soft, and dancing didn't really seem to be an issue; since they both just swayed slightly to the rhythm. For the first few seconds Raven found herself staring nervously at Beastboy's chest, trying to push her previous doubts from her mind, which proved to be less of a challenge then she had first thought. In fact, it surprised her how quickly she settle into the comfort of Beastboy's touch.

She sensed a calming warmth radiating from his entire being, it was soft but distinct, and Raven realized how rare it was for her to be able to distinguish Beastboy's emotions. Absolute peace, as if he had never felt more at home then right there with her; a thought that filled her with a similar emotion, and she wanted nothing more than to stay lost within it forever. She wasn't even aware that she had moved closer toward him, her forehead now resting just below his shoulder, and her right hand now resting on the side of his bare arm. Before recently, she had never really thought about how his skin might feel, but being presented with the perfect opportunity to find out wasn't one she'd pass up. Letting her right hand gently grip his arm, she was surprised by it's baby soft texture, his skin feeling like velvet beneath her fingers, she relaxed even more against him.

Beastboy realized that at this point he should have been nervous, afraid, able to hear his heart pounding, but he didn't. It wasn't as if he felt nothing either, far from it, he felt overwhelmed. It was as if all the negative thoughts inside him had disappeared, as if he only existed in this one moment that would last him the rest of his life...and he wanted nothing more than to believe that it were true, that he could hold her in his arms, and somehow how stop time. Beastboy found that both his hands had wrapped themselves around Raven's waist, pulling her to him, as Raven's other hand now lay on chest. He wasn't even sure if the music was still playing, or if the two had even bothered to move at all since they had come together; but it didn't matter. For as long as Raven would allow it, he would hold her.

Raven closed her eyes, almost certain that if she were not standing she would have fallen asleep. It was quiet, not the kind of silence that left an undesired void, but the kind that comforted ever part of your soul. She had barely given any thought to world around her, as if it had melted away and left only the two of them floating. There was nothing to be said, even her emotions remained silent, and she didn't even bother to make sure her powers weren't acting up; though somehow she knew that they weren't. She was too at peace to even question any of it, and only wished that she keep this feeling forever; whether it be real or not.

That's when she felt it, that flicker of doubt and insecurity, though she wasn't sure if it was from him or herself. It scared her all the same, her eyes opened and her grip on Beastboy's arm tightened as she felt his hands pull away from her waist tentatively. She pulled back some too, looking up at his confused expression, sensing something was wrong but not certain what it could be.

The growing sound of sirens, accompanied by red and blue lights flashing through the restaurants windows ended the dance completely. They pulled apart as several police officers entered, finding Control Freak bound near the door and the two titans, dressed quite strangely, before them.

Raven opened her mouth to address them but was cut off.

"As you can see officers, everything's under control" Becky said, making her way quickly in front of them.

"I see," an older, and somewhat larger looking, officer nodded absently in her direction while looking around the place.

"I'm assuming you're the one who hit the distress button, correct miss?" He asked looking back at her.

"Me?" She smiled sheepishly. "With two of the city's finest heroes dining here tonight? Must have been someone else."

A younger looking officer stepped up from behind, tall with sandy blond hair and green eyes.

"Looks like everything's clear here, sir." he said, eyes momentarily pausing on Becky before looking away.

The older man nodded. "We'll be taking Control Freak back to prison then."

"Uh, you might wanna put some extra bars on that cell," Beastboy commented lightly. "No way am I battling this guy anytime soon."

The older man frowned in annoyance and Raven elbowed Beastboy in the arm, letting him know that he was to watch what he was saying.

"What?" Beastboy asked rubbing his arm. "I'm just making a point Rae. We wouldn't have to fight so many bad guys if they could keep them in prison."

The officers frown deepened further, Raven glared over at Beastboy who didn't seem to understand what he had done wrong.

"No worries," the younger officer replied with a calm smile. "Always glad for the assist. Only wish we could have helped out more."

Becky smiled warmly at his kindness.

Sighing, Raven nodded to him, "You're welcome."

"Yeah, no prob," Beastboy grinned. "By the way, what's your name dude?"

The young officer looked a little caught off guard by the question. "Uh, John, the name's John."  
Beastboy grinned and stepped forward to shake his hand, John smiled and accepted.

"Nice to meet you John," he grinned, "I don't suppose you've met my friend, Becky?"

This caught Raven off guard, as well as Becky who had only met the changeling a couple of hours ago.

_'What is he up to?'_ Raven wondered, suspiciously.

"Um, no, I suppose not," John looked up at her and smiled nervously. "Good evening miss."

Becky blinked and smiled back. "Evening officer," she greeted quietly.

Raven looked surprised, she had never heard Becky use such a quite tone before, and a soft warmth stretched between the two.

"Becky's part time owner here," Beastboy chimed in, "And the best and most helpfullest host you'll ever meet."

Beastboy looked over at Becky and winked, and no one cared to point out that 'helpfullest' wasn't even a word.

"well, I try," Becky grinned modestly, "But I enjoy helping people."

"Me too," John grinned, "It's the whole reason I went into law enforcement."

Raven blinked, understanding what Beastboy was trying to do. But how had he noticed so quickly, and even before herself; she was suppose to be the empath here.

"Enough small talk," The older officer intervened. "We're wasting time, and therefore wasting the city's money. We have a job to do, kid."

John winced at his words and frowned. "Uh, yeah, sorry sir."

"Dude, you so need to chill out," Beastboy said. "Everything's fine, it's not like Control Freak's going anywhere."

Raven gritted her teeth and John and Becky both sent Beastboy pleading looks in hopes that he wouldn't make the situation any worse.

"Uh, I mean," Beastboy sweat-dropped under their gazes, "Carry on."

"Right then," The older officer replied, in a very unkind voice as he turned away.

Beastboy let out a breath and smiled over at John and Becky who were exchanging shy smiles.

"Now that we're all acquainted," Beastboy grinned. "I think an exchange of numbers is in order here"  
John blushed.

"Well, I," he looked up at Becky, and summoning up all his courage, boldly asked , "You doing anything tomorrow?"

Becky blushed and looked over the place. "I think I'm free for at least a few weeks"

She smiled back at him. "How's a movie sound?"

John's eyes widened. "Great. You like sci-fi?"

"love it." Becky nodded.

"pick you up at 7?"

"Yeah."

Raven looked on in surprise as Beastboy grinned approvingly. Closing her eyes for a moment she walked up beside him shaking her head with a soft smile.

"Okay cupid," Raven said to him in a slight mocking tone. "If you're done playing match maker, we can head home now."

Beastboy smiled proudly at himself and blushed in her direction.

"What can I say Rae, I'm a hopeless romantic," He boasted.

"You got the hopeless part right," Raven teased slightly as she walked by.

"Hey! No fair," Beastboy grinned as he walked beside her out the door. "Are you saying that you didn't have a good time tonight? Cause I distinctly remember hearing you say-"

"-No, I had a great time," Raven replied softly.

Beastboy blinked, being caught of guard.

"Okay," he said slowly. "So.."  
"So?" She looked over at him. "Are we walking or flying home?"

Beastboy rolled his eyes.

"Duh! Walking, of course," he replied gesturing to the two of them.

"Not what I meant," Raven sighed. "Don't you think it's cold out right now?"

She knew he was barely dressed at all and she had also left her jacket behind.

"Maybe a little, " Beastboy admitted rubbing his upper arms. "But I know you don't have enough power to get us back to the tower, and a walk through the park still sounds like the perfect thing to end our date with."

"What do you mean 'don't have enough power'?" Raven asked, with a slight glare in Beastboy direction as they entered the park.

"Oh come on Raven, you teleported us to the park _and_ fought Control freak," Beastboy reminded her. "And I know how much energy it took just for the teleporting thingy."

"Oh really?" Raven raised an eyebrow slightly. "One date and you're already an expert on all things Raven."  
"Hmm, pretty much" Beastboy shrugged though sounding confident.

Raven made a 'hmm..' sound and looked forward as they walked, her pace now quicker than his, and Beastboy had to jog to keep up.

"Yo Rae, you mind slowing down a bit?" Beastboy asked from slightly behind her. "I'm having troub-AH!"

Raven stopped and looked back, a knowing smirk on her face when she spotted Beastboy. He was hanging upside down, black energy gripping his right foot and letting him dangle awkwardly. He grunted and twisted his hips, waving his arms frantically, almost afraid he was going to fall.

"HEY! No fair!" He yelled stopping his struggles and folding his arms over his chest. "This is so not cool!"

"Thought you would have seen it coming," Raven smirked as she stepped closer to him, "With you being an expert on me and all."  
Beastboy sighed. "Point taken."

"What's that?" Raven asked feigning ignorance. "I'm afraid I didn't hear you?"

"Raaaeee," Beastboy whined. "All the blood is rushing to my head."

"And?" Raven asked.

"And..uh...," He grinned slyly, "You do realize that from this angle I can see right down your shirt, right?"

That was all it took for Raven to be completely taken off guard and release him, he made a painful grunting noise as he hit the ground.

"Ow, never going to get use to that," He mumbled.

Raven glared down at him, though her cheeks had tinted a slight shade of Red.

"Heh, I was only kidding Raven," he smiled pulling himself up. "That would be totally disrespectful of me."

"Oh?" She asked walking away but looking over her shoulder at him. "You mean like you trying to feel me up earlier today?"

Beastboy frowned in shame as he ran up beside her.

"I already said I was sorry," he replied. "I thought you forgave me? I even still have the bruise."

Raven let out an exaggerated sigh, the cold air stinging her skin as she kept moving forward ahead of him.

"Raven Wait!"

Beastboy grabbed her wrist and she stopped, slightly out of breath, and turned toward him. They were now at the edge of the park, the tower looming high in the distance over the ocean, barely visible in the night sky.

Beastboy was simply staring at her, caught among the mix of emotions inside him. The wind was blowing Ravens hair to the side, her eyes full of emotions that he wished he could identify, her skin seeming to glow against the moon hovering above them in the sky.She was breathing heavily through her nose, but there were no traces of anger in her face; nor did she try to pull away from Beastboy grip.

He stepped closer to her, still holding onto her wrist, he brought his other hand up and cupped the side of her face. Raven literally froze as his gloved hand touched her skin, his thumb gently stoking her cheek and his eyes lingering on her lips, longingly. Something about the way he did this made her feel safe, protected, wanted, and she closed her eyes awaiting what she knew was coming next. She felt his lips connect gently with hers, the wind whipping around the two, their lips parting in a soft sigh exchanged between them before the kiss furthered.

Though it was true they had both kissed each other before, something about this time made it all the more special. Last time Raven had been so preoccupied with her own emotions and thoughts that she had not even taken notice to what he had been feeling at the time; though she was certain he had enjoyed it too. This time there was a strong desire coming off him, an undeniable urge that she found almost difficult to place, and she could not deny that she found it both frightening and exiciting at the same time. Her own emotions seemed to blend with his too, her excitement, happiness, hope...

_'Please let this be real' _

Beastboy pulled back suddenly, leaving them both wide eyed and out of breath. They stared at one another for what felt like an eternity, the moonlight glimmering against the snow as it began to gently fall around them.

"Wow," Beastboy said heavily, still out of breath. "That was totally _'the best'_ kiss in the whole entire universe."

Raven blushed, but agreed, Beastboy rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Um, Rae?" He asked, looking very nervous."Does this mean that, um, you and I are like...ya know.."

He looked down at his feet, unable to form any of the words properly.

"Isn't this the part where the handsome prince says something profoundly touching?" Raven asked with a weak smile.

Beastboy grinned up at her.

"Something like that," he replied sheepishly, "But feel free to jump in at any minute, Rae; Women's equal rights and all that."

Raven rolled her eyes but then looked up at him.

"Beastboy I, I'd...really like to go out again sometime," she told him.  
"With me?" Beastboy asked hopefully, and Raven sighed impatiently.

"No, with Cyborg" she replied sarcastically.

"What!"

"Beastboy, I'm joking," Raven told him in a neutral tone, "Of course I mean you."  
"Oh, right, heh," He grinned. "So..are you saying that we're like official now?"

"Officially what?" Raven asked moving closer toward him.

"Well...I mean-"

"-yeah" Raven asked now only inches way from him, enjoying watching him squirm.

"Me as you're..and you being my...us," he stammered, suddenly feeling weak and light-headed.

Raven leaned closer, brushing her lips gently against his for a few brief moments, allowing her emotions to run away with her.

"As long as you don't mind having a half-demon for a girlfriend," She whispered.

"N.n.no," he stutter in a hushed tone, feeling dizzy, "Don't mind."

She pulled away from him, feeling suddenly more aware of herself, and of Beastboy.

"Whoa," he said putting a hand to his head. "I think I may need to sit down."

Raven smiled at the compliment but noticed that he was indeed beginning to fall to his knees. Alarmed, she managed to catch him in her arms as he fell forward, bending down on one knee to try and support his weight.

"Beastboy," She said, hating how detached she sounded despite her concern, "What's wrong?"

His brow furrowed in concentration.

"Not...sure, I guess," he chuckled softly, half open eyes looking up at her, "You take my breath away."

Only Beastboy could take a moment so completely serious and still find the time to say something so very corny. It lessened her concern slightly before his head fell onto her shoulder, unconscious. She took a brief moment to try and draw a conclusion to what just happened; he hadn't really eaten anything today, he had wore himself out during the battle, or maybe...

Had her emotions, her powers, somehow done this to him? That was a thought almost too terrifying to be true.

Wrapping her arms around him, she prepared to teleport them back to the tower, and into the medical bay to find out for sure.

"You're lucky you're worth the trouble Beastboy," she told him, and she could almost make out the tired smile that crossed his face before they both were engulfed by darkness.

* * *

**Hmm...don't know what to say. I feel like I may have been lacking inspiration on several parts, but I just couldn't stand waiting any longer to post it.**

**Can't say for sure when the next chapter will be up, so I'm hoping that me making this chapter long helps the wait. Heh.**

**OH! I got my permit today! Yes, I must share my joy with the world!**

**Me: Go kayla, it's your birthday, get to drive now, oh yeah!**

**Ahem...also, here's a little something that didn't make it into the chapter.**

--------------------------------------------------------------

Beastboy frowned as he looked down at himself.

"Aw man," He complained "Robin's going to kill me."

"I thought you may have borrowed that from him" Raven mused with a raised eyebrow.

"Huh...how?" Beastboy asked, wide eyed.

"The jacket," Raven replied with an amused grin "It was leather."

----------------------------

**I just didn't find a place to fit that in.**

**Until next time! Please Review!!!**


	15. What happened?

**Ahem...um...yeah. Heh...it's been awhile. (grins sheepishly).**

**I lost my inspiration... and kind of got caught up with some other stuff...including a few other stories.**

**I'm very proud of this story though, and it felt like a shame to just quit...so..**

**I'm trying.**

* * *

Raven sighed. She had only managed to get Beastboy and herself to the front door of Titans Tower before they fell; luckily, a lot closer to the ground than the time before. Beastboy was right, she had used up a lot of energy that day and couldn't get very far with her powers alone.

_'Still doesn't make him an expert'_ she thought distractly.

With one of Beastboy's arms drapped over her shoulder and both her arms, one around his back and the other supporting him in front, she was forced to go the rest of the way by foot.

When the door to the main room slid open, Cyborg, who was busily preparing something in the kitchen, called over to them without looking up.

"Bout' time you two got back," he said stirring a pot on the stove, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Didn't get in too much trouble, did ya B?"

Raven found the question a bit strange considering, and she shifted Beastboy's weight so that he was no longer such a burden, and sighed.

"Actually," Raven replied tiredly. "I could use some help."

Cybrog chuckled. "One date and you're already..-"

The statement haulted completely as the older teen turned to look at his two friends. Raven seeming to struggle in her effort to support Beastboy, whose clothes where badly torn and whose head hung down limp and unconscious.

All dinner preperations forgotten, Cyborg rushed over to the two and bent down in front of them.

"Whoa, what happened?" he asked worriedly, glancing up at Raven in regards to Beastboys current condition.

Raven's brows furrowed.

"I'm not exactly sure," She replied.

Cyborg didn't bother to hide the surprise on his face as he reached out to help hold Beastboy up.

"We should go to the infirmary," Cyborg said in a 'take charge' kinda way. "I'll do a scan to make sure everythings okay."

Raven nodded and Cyborg placed his arms behind Beastboy's back and legs and lifted him up effortlessly. During most of the battles, whenever Cyborg had to carry the changeling, he always drapped the younger teen over his shoulder; this time, however, he held Beastboy in his arms with delibrate care. Raven could see as well as sense Cyborg's apprehension and worry; which did not help her relax at all.

Lagging tiredly behind the two, she made her way to the infirmary as Cyborg placed Beastboy on one of the beds.

There should have been so much more going on in her mind at the moment, but the only thought that would make itself known was that she needed to meditate. She hated how selfish it sounded, and so continued to push the thought away as Cyborg asked question after question.

Raven explained to him everything that had happened, leaving out more personal details, and Cyborg seemed to get less and less worried as she continued. She realized, that given Beastboy's appearance and her lack of explanation before hand, that Cyborg had probably assumed the worse.

_'Way to go Raven' _She quipped dully.

"Okay," Cyborg said looking thoughtful but calm. "You both walked from the park to the resturaunt, Beastboy didn't touch any of his food, then you battled Control Freak, right?"

Raven nodded.

"Which is why his clothes ripped," Cyborg said with an almost amused expression. "Then you both walked back through the park?"

"Yes," Raven replied standing beside Beastboy's bed. "He collapsed shortly after."

"Well,... looks like the little guy just wore himself out," Cyborg replied. "I mean, he didn't really eat anything for Breakfast either, and then I caught him in the work out room."

Raven glanced briefly up at Cyborg and then back toward Beastboy, sleeping peacefully on the infirmary bed. Had she really allowed herself to get worked up over something as simple as exhaustion?

"I'm not so sure," Raven said thoughtfully, her gaze still directed at the sleeping changeling.

"Whatta ya mean?" Cyborg asked, sounding more interested than confused.

"He seemed fine just a few minutes before," Raven recalled. "It just doesn't seem..right."

"Well, what happened?" Cybrog asked with intent curiousity. "Just before he passed out, I mean?"

Raven's face heated up as she recalled those moment before, brushing her lips against his, whispering that she was his...girlfriend. Her heart quickened and the silence that followed Cyborg's question was broken by the sound of shattering glass in a nearby window.

_'Great. Now my powers work'_

Truthfully, she was surprised her powers hadn't acted up sooner, even with her increased control, but she thanked Azar that she had maintained them during her and Beastboy's date.

_'I really need to meditate'_ she thought.

"Whoa, you okay Raven?" Cyborg asked, startled. "I was just asking what- wait a mintute."  
Raven turned to look at him as a sly grin spread across his face.

"Oh man, this is too good," Cyborg laughed. "You've gotta be kiddin' me."  
"What?" Raven asked, uncertain.

"You and Beastboy?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, "Let me guess; you kissed him?"

"Uh..I," Raven cursed herself for the slight stutter, "I don't see how that's relevant."

"Oh, it's relevant alright," Cyborg assurred her. "You kissed him and Beastboy fainted."  
"That's...not what happened," Raven denied weakly.

"Oh? Is that so?" Cyborg grinned, fully enjoying himself.

"He, we did...kiss," Raven admitted looking away, "But that doesn't mean.."

"Oh man, this is rich," Cyborg laughed again. "No way am I gonna let him live this down."

Raven sighed deeply, using her thumb and index finger to rub the bridge between her nose, surpressing a slight headache that had begun to form.

_'Definitely need to meditate'_

"Hey, you okay Raven?" Cyborg asked, concerned. "You seem kinda..."

"Just tired," Raven replied softly.

"Well go ahead and get some rest," Cyborg said with a reassuring smile. "I got things taken care of here."  
Raven looked down at Beastboy again, feeling like she should stay.

"You ain't gonna do him any good stand'n there," Cyborg told her. "What you both need is sleep. Don't worry, I'll watch over your little _boyfriend_ for ya."

Despite the two of them going on a date, Cyborg had expected some form of protest when referring to Beastboy as her 'boyfriend', but Raven simply noded down at the changeling and turned to face him.

"Fine," She replied, "But if something goes wrong.."

"-you'll be the first to know," Cyborg replied, "Got it."

Pretending not to notice Cyborgs intial shock, Raven stared down at Beastboy again. For a moment she debated on whether or not she should lean down and kiss him goodnight, but Cyborg's prescences made that particular display of affection almost too forward. Still, Raven let her fingers brush along the side of his face as she fought back her newly found desire to press her lips against him. Almost reluctantly Raven withdrew her hand, and not bothering to look back up at Cyborg (mostly due to 'Timids' shyness) she made her way toward the door.

_'Huh...whatta ya know'_ Cyborg thought _'This might actually work out.'_

He grinned to himself as he watched her.

"Goodnight Rae," he told her as she reached the door.

"Night." Raven answered plainly.

"OH-and nice outfit," Cyborg grinned. "I'm surprised he didn't faint sooner."  
Raven blushed, covering her arms with her hands and making a hasty exit.

As Cyborg's gaze drifted back toward Beastboy, the smile on his face slowly disappeared. Though he had played it off as simple exhaustion, which may very well have been true, he was genuinely concerned by his friends behavior as of lately.

He had been...moody, and Cyborg found that he often had to choose his words carefully, not always knowing what would set Beastboy off. It was quick though, gone almost immediately after being presented, his anger would vanish. It was easy to shrug the behavior off, and had this occurred a couple of years ago then Cyborg would have done just that. However, he had learned that some things were to be taken into consideration when regarding his friends, especially Beastboy. Not just Because the changeling was his best friend, but because Beastboy himself would be the last of the titans to admit that anything was wrong. It was strange, but Cyborg had come to notice that while Beastboy may have complained about the slightest bump or bruise or even stumped toe, he rarely if ever complained about any serious injuries up front.

He glanced up at some of the equipment thoughtfully and then checked the time on his arm.

"Maybe just a quick scan," He said to himself.

* * *

**This is probably my shortest chapter...and I've had this typed up for quite some time.**

** I'm not sure where to go from here (which is the reason I haven't updated in so long).I'm stuck!**

**I had more written where Beastboy wakes up and then Cyborg acts all casual and then tries to confront him and then Beastboy get nervous and then defensive and stuff...but...eh. **

**Should I even have Cyborg find anything wrong? **

**AH!**

**Hopefully I can pull it together, but I'm open to suggestions (In fact, I'm begging for suggestions). heh.**

**Please review (AND LEAVE SUGGESTIONS!).**

**Thank you all!!**


	16. diagnosis and deals

**So sorry for the wait, but this is all I've got! **

**Enjoy!**

Beastboy murmured in his sleep, consciousness slowly returning to him as he felt the sun through the window touch his face. He smiled but kept his eyes closed, the final moments of a pleasant dream still floating in his mind.

_'As long as you don't mind having a half-demon for a girlfriend'_

It seemed so real, he could almost feel her lips brushing against his.

Slowly and lazily he opened his eyes, still a little dazed until the figure a few inches in front of his face came into focus.

"Aaaahhhhhh!"

Jumping back in alarm, Beastboy hit the back of his head on the wall and groaned.

"Bout time you woke up, B," Cyborg said, a grin on his face from having frightening his friend.

"Duuude, what's your deal?!" Beastboy whined while rubbing his soar head. "What are you doing in.."

He paused as he looked around; plain white painted walls, computer monitors, and a clean floor.

"..My...room?"

Cyborg caught the look on the changelings face and mimicked his confusion.

"Are you tellin' me you don't remember what happened?" He asked.

"Huh? What happened?" Beastboy eyes looked down at his torn out-fit. "What's with my clothes?"

"Date with Raven," Cyborg questioned with a raised eyebrow, "Ringing any bells?"

"Date with..." Beastboy's eyes widened, "Dude, are you telling me that really happened!?"

"Believe it or not, Yeah," Cyborg laughed, "Can't say that I know 'What' exactly happened, but I figured you could fill me in."

Beastboy looked up at his friend. .

_'It wasn't a dream,'_ he thought, a grin spreading across his face as the memories of the night before came back to him.

"Dude, it was awesome," He exclaimed, "We went to this really cool place called 'The Spot' and Raven and I ordered from this waitress named Becky -who's totally cool, by the way- and me and Raven talked like the whole time- and did you know that she likes cake?- and Raven actually called me handsome- but that was way before we got there. Then control Freak showed up and I was like 'aw man' but Raven was like 'We gotta do something' but I didn't wear my uniform so-

"Whoa, B, Slow down," Cyborg said holding his hands up. "I can barely understand what you're say'n."

Beastboy took in a few calming breathes.

"Sorry," he replied, "I guess I'm going kinda fast, huh."

"Ya think?" Cyborg asked. "B'sides, Raven already told me what happened with control freak. Too bad about the outfit though."

Beastboy looked down at himself and grinned sheepishly.

"You think Robin will notice anything different?" he asked looking up at his friend. "I kinda borrowed it from him."

Cyborg shook his head

"The only thing on that boys mind right now is Starfire," he replied. "Looks like you and Raven won't be the only couple in the tower."

"Yeah I- hey, wait," Beastboy looked around. "Where is Raven?"

Cyborg sighed at his friends unawareness.

"Did I miss something," Beastboy looked up confused, "Last thing I remember, Raven was talking to me and...what happened?""I'll take 'Things Not To Do On A Date' for 300," Cyborg mocked.

"Uh..."

Cyborg sighed.

"You passed out, man"

"What?!...Aw man," Beastboy covered his face with the palms of his hands and threw himself back down onto the bed, hitting his head once again on the wall and wincing.

"Duude...could that be any lamer," he whined. "So much for the perfect date."

"I'd say that went down the toilet when Control Freak showed up," Cyborg replied, "But havin' Raven drag you in here was pretty pathetic."Beastboy groaned again but pulled himself up into a sitting position.

"Let me guess," He frowned. "Her powers were on the fritz?"

"Yep."

"I was drooling, wasn't I?"

"Pretty much."

"And she never wants to go out with me again, huh?"

"Well,...actually," Cyborg replied. "She seemed pretty protective over you."

"She..did?" He asked hopefully.

"Yep," Cyborg nodded. "She even let me call you her boyfriend."Beastboy blushed, but hoped for some reason Cyborg didn't notice.

Unfortunately though...

"Don't tell me _that's _what happened," Cyborg grinned, "You fainted because Raven agreed to be your girlfriend?"

"No, I mean yes, I mean," Beastboy groaned. "Aw man."

Cyborg laughed and then tossed Beastboy his uniform.

"Here man," he said. "We wouldn't want _Ra-ven_ to walk in and see ya still haven't changed."

"Dude, you went in my room?" Beastboy asked, hopping off the bed to examine his uniform, ignoring his friends teasing words.

"Ugh, don't remind me," Cyborg shuddered, "It looked like your closet threw up."

Beastboy chuckled sheepishly. "heh, yeah...kinda had trouble with that."

Beastboy then looked up at his friend and lifted an eyebrow.

"Uh, dude, can't change while you're watch'n me," He said.

Cyborg rolled his human eye and turned around.

"Trust me, B, I don't wanna see anymore than I have to," he told him.

"Yeah, 'cause you'd be jealous," Beastboy boasted as he pulled off his ripped shirt and began to change.

Cyborg snorted in the back of his throat.

"Yeah, jealous, that's it," he said sarcastically.

Beastboy put on his uniform and zipped the front.

Cyborg turned back around and Beastboy struck a heroic pose.

"Not bad, huh?" Beastboy grinned.

"Save it for Raven, man."

"Fine with me," Beastboy grinned and shrugged. "So, did you bring me some spare gloves?"

"Didn't see any," Cyborg answered, "B'sides, I ain't your slave, you can get your own."

"Fine," Beastboy rolled his eyes and then looked down at his hands, having fought most of the time using his fists, his knuckles were sore and his gloves torn slightly.

"So, how ya feeling?"

"Huh?" Beastboy looked up, caught off guard by his friends question.

"Fine," He replied after a moment. "Why?"

"No reason," Cyborg shrugged and turned toward a tray placed on on the nearby stand.

"Thought you could use some fueling up though," he commented as he held the tray out for folded his arms.

"Dude, there is no way I'm eating whatever you slaughtered for breakfast."

"Not to worry, it's all veggie friendly," Cybrog replied, and Beastboy looked down at the tray with surprise.

"You actually made me a non-meat based breakfast?"

"Don't get use to it."

Beastboy went to reach for the food but stopped, pausing a second and looking up at Cyborg with a guarded expression, he pulled back.

"Okay, what's up?" he asked. "It's gotta be bad if ya fixed this tray up for me."

"What," Cyborg said, trying to sound defensive. "Can't a guy do something nice for his best bud without a reason?"

Beastboy gave him a blank expression.

"Uh..no."

Cyborg sighed and sat the tray back down, he stared at the ground for a while and Beastboy suddenly felt nervous.

"Listen, I don't want ya to take this the wrong way or nothing," Cyborg hesitated, "But I'm kinda...worried about ya."

"Worried, why?" Beastboy asked sitting on the side of the bed and starring up at his friend.

Cyborg looked over at him cautiously and Beastboy began to feel even more nervous.

"I ran a scan on ya last night," he replied, "Just check'n to make sure everything was fine."Beastboy felt his heart begin to sink down into his stomach, he felt his breath become short for a moment.

"A-and?" Beastboy asked, "Was it?"

"Listen, it's not like it's anything serious," Cyborg replied, "At least, I don't have any proof that it is, it's just..."

Cyborg looked down at his friend, a worried if not fearful expression on the changeling's usually happy face.

"Well…"

Cyborg paused thoughtfully, trying to think of how best to phrase his words.

"Dude, is there something wrong with me or not?" Beastboy asked, a little too anxious.

"I...can't say for sure," Cyborg answered at last. "The last scan was taken before we went after the brotherhood, so it's been awhile."

"So, what does it mean?" Beastboy asked, still very tense.

"According to the readings, you've gotten a lot...," Cyborg paused, searching for an appropriate word,"...Stronger."

Beastboy wondered if it was just the immense feeling of relief that caused his shoulders to ease, or if it was because he had unknowingly been holding his breath at the time.

"Dude, is that it?" Beastboy asked with a slight smile.

Cyborg turned toward his friend, rubbing the back of his neck with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Uh..well...,"

"Dude, that totally makes sense," Beastboy grinned. "I mean, we've only been kicking bad guy butt for almost a year since then.""Yeah but-""Not to mention how awesome I was against the brotherhood," Beastboy boasted, showing off the muscles in his arm, "And let's not forget how much taller I've gotten. I'm practically the definition of strength!"

He stood up to show off his full height and again flexed his arms.

"Listen, B," Cyborg said, his tone still laced with uncertainty and worry.

Beastboy stopped, lowering his arms to the side and giving his full attention back to Cyborg.

"I've thought about all that too," Cyborg said, in the same serious tone as before, "It just doesn't add up. The readings seem to suggest that these changes were more...recent. I'm not even sure how to explain it."

"So, I'm a late bloomer? So what." Beastboy answered with an indifferent shrug, turning his attention to the other side of the room.

Cyborg took a few intense moments to stare at the changeling, before frowning again.

"If the changes in your endurance levels are linked to the subtle changes in your DNA," Cyborg spoke more deliberately, "Then you would've experienced some kind of physical if not mental reaction to the changes in your system...maybe even strain."

It was more of a question than a statement, an opening for Beastboy to confide in him.

Beastboy felt himself frown, realizing that he had been trying for quite some time to deny that anything was wrong with him. _'It was nothing...'_ ..._'Probably just my imagination...'_ ..._'I just got carried away...no big deal'...'I'm fine...'_

He didn't want to believe it, not now, not when everything seemed to be going good in his life, but there he was- standing in the middle of the infirmary, his best friend presenting the evidence right in front of him -and him being unable to give any reasonable explanation.

"Even if the indications are wrong, Beastboy,"

Cyborg paused and then glanced back at the monitors.

"The change does seem kind of drastic."

Those words seemed to be enough to shift Beastboy's thoughts, the recent and now familiar sensation returning in his belly.

"Oh, I see." He replied in a cold almost angry tone, his eyes focused steadily on the ground.

Cyborg turned to look at him, noting the sudden change in his voice and body language.

"So, I get a little stronger and suddenly something's wrong with me, huh?" Beastboy asked keeping his voice level despite the dark undertone.

"That's not what I'm sa-"

"Yes it is," Beastboy interrupted, more loudly. "Why is it so hard for you to admit that I've gotten stronger, that I may actually be something more than just the stupid little grass stain?"

"Hold it, man, I never said-"

"Yes you did," Beastboy clenched his hands, "You say it all the time. You're always making fun of me, always pushing me around."

That feeling was growing again, and the still rational side to Beastboy was praying to stay in control, his fists shaking.

"This isn't like you, B," Cyborg said cautiously, "If something's wrong you need to let me know."

Beastboy closed his eyes for a moment, taking in a silent breath and raising his head to meet Cyborgs gaze.

"Nothing's wrong," He said, his voice more calm than before.

_'liar'_

Beastboy nearly winced at the voice, it sounded more like himself than even he did at the moment.

"You sure about that," Cyborg asked more sternness in his voice.

Of all the titans, Raven included, Cyborg knew more about him than almost anyone. They had an unspoken connection, perhaps due to the fact that they would always be judged in someway by their appearance. It hadn't taken long for the two to become best friends, cracking jokes, arguing pettily over breakfast, and competing in video games. It had been on one particularly rainy night though, when the older teen had been reflecting on the life he had left behind, that Beastboy had confided in him about the death of his parents. He had tried his best to conceal the emotions running through him at the time of his confession, but more than a few tears had escaped him as he recalled the events that day. Cyborg had proven to be a much better friend than he could ever have hoped for that night, someone that he could trust, and after Cyborg confessed about the loss of his own mother, Beastboy knew that he trusted him as well.

For some reason though, Beastboy couldn't help but feel trapped, feel as if he was being prosecuted right there in his own home. So, with fierce determination he looked back up at his friend, and not managing to convince himself of his Cyborg's rightful intentions, he lied again.

"Positive, dude," Beastboy replied with the same serious expression, "I'm faster, stronger, and better than ever, and I just went out on a date with the prettiest and most amazing girl in the whole world."

Cyborg still held the intense gaze, not seeming to believe that his friend was really doing as great as he seemed to believe. Still, upon the mentioning of his date, Beastboy's voice and expression seemed to soften.

He felt drained again, just by the very thought of Raven. Beastboy wasn't sure how she could have so much power over him and not even be in the same room, but then again...Raven was one very special girl. With a weary glance toward the monitors, he wanted nothing more than to be able to have it all-no strings attached. He finally felt like he had achieved something only to find it being ripped away from him.

he sighed.

"I'm your best friend, Cy," Beastboy said, frowning slightly, "I thought you'd be happy for me."

Cyborg let his expression ease too.

"Trust me man, no one's as happy about you and Raven as I am," he said, "But this isn't about that, and it's not just about you getting stronger either."

Beastboy turned his head away and self-consciously rubbed his left arm.

"If I'm right about this," Cyborg said solemnly, "The effects could continue to increase, and with your genetic structure already being unstable,..."

There was an uneasy pause as Cyborg took a few steps forward and placed his hand on Beastboy's shoulder.

"I don't want anything to happen to you, B."

He closed his eyes and lowered his head, thinking about the occurrences when he felt that he had been...losing control. It wasn't normal...not the anxiety, not the anger, not the power,...no, none of it. He swallowed and remembered how close he had come to hurting Robin during their sparring match, how much he had wanted to hurt Control Freak when he had ruined his and Ravens date, and that constant voice in the back of his head pressing him to give into those urges.

What,..what if he couldn't stop himself next time? What if he hurt his friends? What if he hurt...Raven?

No…no..he wouldn't. He would never hurt her.

"Don't worry," Cyborg told him. "We'll figure it out."

Beastboy swallowed and shook his head, finally finding the strength to look back up at his friend.

"No, I can handle this on my own."

Cyborg blinked down at him and then frowned.

"You don't have to do this alone, B, I can-"

"What?" Beastboy challenged, "Run some tests? Give me some kind of shot and make it all better?"

Cyborg didn't flinch despite the bitterness in Beastboy's words.

"Or maybe you can just lock me up," Beastboy suggested.

This time Cyborg acknowledged Beastboy's words with an almost apologetic stare.

"Beastboy.."

"That's what you really wanna do, isn't it?!" Beastboy demanded, "It's what you would have done last time too."

'Last time'...Beastboy realized immediately the carelessness of what he had just confessed. He knew what this feeling was...the strength, the power, the anger.

"Last time was a mistake," Cyborg said, "Beastboy, you know we didn't..."

He paused as if expecting Beastboy to cut him off, but the changeling looked expectantly up at him.

"Didn't what?" he asked, a hurt expression overcoming his features, "Didn't mean to treat me like some common criminal."

"Last time was different," Cyborg countered, "We should've realized somethin' was wrong sooner."

Beastboy looked away.

"I should've stood up for you, man," Cyborg told him softly, "I was wrong to think that you'd ever..."

"It's not the same this time," Beastboy said, his head turned so that Cyborg couldn't see his face, and his voice no longer held in anger. "This is something I have to figure out on my own, and I need you to trust me, okay."

After a moments hesitation Cyborg sighed.

"Okay, B. I trust you." he replied. "Just promise you'll come to me if ya need any help."

Beastboy felt his lips turn up into a small appreciative smile.

"And don't think I won't be keeping an eye on you either." Cyborg warned.

Beastboy rolled his eyes.

"And at the first sign of trouble, you're right back here, got it?"

Beastboy let out an exasperated sigh, opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off.

"And if it turns into anything serious, we have to tell the others."

Beastboy frowned at the part, before letting out another exaggerated sigh.

"Fine, fine, okay." He relented. "Anything else, mother?"

Cyborg snorted slightly at this, but then smiled himself.

"Nah, that should about cover it."

Beastboy smiled back.

"Then it's a deal."

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**If I ever find the inspiration/motivation to write the next chapter....then it will focus more on Raven. Maybe some Raven and Starfire girl talk.**

**Anyway, I really appreciate your patience.....although I would not be surprised if everyone has given up on this story...since even I did.**

**Please review (no flames, please)**


	17. Chapter 17

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Raven sighed, eyes closed as she sat in a lotus position atop her bed.

"Azerath…metrion…Zinthos."

Meditation had always been a way for her to sort through her thoughts and feelings, a means to control stronger emotions that often disrupted or influenced her powers, but even now that she had control of them she still found it relaxing, and so continued to participate in regular meditating sessions; sometimes even joined by Starfire. So it was very strange and foreign to her that such a thing, which had always come second nature to her, now felt forced.

She was distracted, and just a bit too anxious to relax and focus.

Raven opened one eye to glance at her clock, and decided it was still a little early to check in on Beastboy. He was most likely still asleep and she didn't want to seem overbearing, even if…

'Even if he's you're boyfriend' Love serenely intoned.

Raven closed her eyes against the words, although blushing slightly, and took in a calming breath.

However, try as she might, her mind continued to replay the events of the night before, focusing on one person in particular.

Beastboy.

It was not just her concern for Beastboy that made her thoughts flow back to him now, but rather her feelings toward him, and every small detail of their date. For some reason the smallest thing seemed more significant now; the way his larger hand fit so securely in her own, his eager and attentive face as he questioned her about her shopping experience, the shy upturn of his mouth whenever she caught him staring wonderingly at her, and the way the lights in the restaurant reflected in his emerald eyes and highlighted flecks of light green coloring that she had never noticed before.

She wondered vaguely if there was something wrong with her.

Was she feeling too much, too soon?

The thought was both terrifying and thrilling, and she was surprised to find that she didn't mind so much.

_Knock. Knock._

Raven opened her eyes, letting out a sigh of frustration when she noticed several of her possessions floating around her. Whenever she was with Beastboy her emotions almost never influenced her powers, and yet the mere thought of their date now seemed to cause chaos around her. Mediation was now proving to be the exact opposite of what she needed. It was just another annoying thing that simply did not make sense, and it only made Raven long to be in beastboy's presence more.

The sudden realization of this almost made her want to laugh.

She never would have imagined ever longing to be around Beastboy before, and the fact that she felt calmer around him was almost absurd.

_Knock, knock, knock._

With another sigh she got down off of her bed, wondering who would be up at such an early time of morning.

'_But didn't Cyborg say he'd come get me if anything went wrong?'_

A feeling of slight panic seized her as she made her way toward the door and it quickly swooshed open.

"Morning, friend Raven!"

Before she could even register the cheerful smile of the person in front of her, she was captured within a tight hug; a much stronger embrace than the thin feminine arms would lead you to believe.

"Uh…Morning Starfire?"

Raven acknowledge the greeting awkwardly, partly relieved that Beastboy must still be well, but also completely taken back by her friends cheerful intrusion-especially at such an early hour.

she eyed the tameranian inquisitively when she pulled away.

"I apologize if I have awaken you friend." Starfire answered, still grinning. "But I am most excited to hear of yours and friend Beastboy's date."

Raven blinked. "Oh."

It had never occurred to Raven, although she realized now how foolish it was, that her date with Beastboy would remain anything but a private matter between the two of them. Of course Starfire would wish to hear what had happened, and no doubt Cyborg would be questioning Beastboy as well- especially with the vague details she had already relayed to him about the evening.

As if suddenly coming back to herself, Raven realized that Starfire was still standing in front of her, hands clasped eagerly before her in anticipation.

"Well," she began, feeling oddly out of place and on the spot. "It was..definitely memorable."

Starfire nodded enthusiastically for her friend to continue.

Raven sighed. "I'm not sure exactly what you want to know."

'Or even what's appropriate to talk about' she thought to herself, her and Starfires 'girl talks' had involved the discussion of boys before, but neither had actually been on a date. Even stranger was the fact that this was Beastboy she'd be talking about- Beastboy who very much thought of Starfire as his older sister. Would discussing such a thing with her make Beastboy uncomfortable?

Before she could ponder this further, Starfire was suddenly asking questions.

"What did you wear? Where did you go? Did friend Beastboy perhaps confess his feelings for you? Will you be participating in the 'going out' again? Did you engage in the holding of hands, or perhaps the exchanging of saliva? "

Raven felt herself back up slightly from Starfire's rapid questioning, especially the odd phrasing of the last question- and the embarrassing emotions they brought forth in her.

Taking in a calming breathe she answered the best she could.

"I wore the blue top and fitted jeans. We went to a small diner I know. I was already aware of Beastboy's feelings so a confession was not necessary. Yes we will be going out again, and although I think that matter is quite personal, we did hold hands and we did kiss."

The professional and straightforward manner in which she answered these questions still did not stop the slight reddening of her cheeks at her final confession.

Starfire squealed in delight, looking positively giddy as she captured Raven in another tight hug.

"That is glorious news, friend Raven! I am so happy for the both of you!" she exclaimed. "You must tell me everything that occurred!"

By the time Starfire pulled back to look at her, Raven had managed to conceal the look of horror and stunned confusion on her face. Hadn't she said enough already? Did Starfire really expect her to recount the entire evening?

"Actually, Starfire." She replied with practiced ease. "I'm curious to hear about you and Robin. Don't you two have plans this evening?"

Starfire beamed, confirming this to be true, and soon the tameranian was excitedly explaining her plans for the evening, pulling Raven toward the bed so that the two could sit down and continue their chat. Raven smiled inwardly at having redirected the conversation away for herself and Beastboy, also pleased to see her friend so happy, but she did feel a surge of apprehension when Starfire suggested what she called 'the dating of doubles'.

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**Dear Readers,**

**I apologize for not finishing this story- It's still one of my favorites- but I just don't have the inspiration/motivation or even the imagination to continue it. I didn't want to leave this story hanging in the air, and people wondering if it will ever see an end(i don't believe it will), so I'm letting you know now. I also apologize if the 'new chapter' alert got anyone's hopes up, which is why I posted a little something along with this (I've had this typed up for quite some time). It pains me to admit, but this story will not see another chapter after this- unless by some miracle I get inspired again. Other stories have stolen my attention and focus. **

**I appreciate everyone who has read and reviewed this story, I've had some of the nicest reviews and this is by far my most popular story I've ever written. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I appreciate all of your encouragement and I hope you accept my apology as I painfully admit defeat. If anyone would like to continue my story on their own, you are free to do so- I'd be honored. Thanks again.**

**Sincerely, toxic-dreamer-2 (Kayla)**

**Normally I'd say 'please review', but I'd rather not get yelled at, heh. No review is necessary.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Everyone can thank my little sister for this chapter- it was just going to be a seperate one-shot, but she made me rethink it, alter it a bit, and so it could work within this story.**

**I honestly don't have anything to say except maybe miracles do happen.**

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From his spot atop the roof of Titans Tower, Beastboy felt as if he could see everything; from the rocky shore of their home, to the vast ocean, to the sparkling lights of the city as the sun began to fade away into the horizon. Then there was the sounds; the soft sloshing of the waves hitting the rocks below, the whistle of the wind, the quiet chirping of birds, and even the very distant sounds of city life that only his sensitive ears could pick up.

He shifted, realizing faintly how stiff he felt from sitting on the hard surface, and he absentmindedly swung his legs back and forth while they dangled over the edge of the towers roof. The wind blew more fiercely, making the already dreary day even more chilly, and Beastboy closed his eyes against it's bitter sting and took in a deep breath.

Smells were more tricky when he wasn't in an animal form, but he suspected they were still more acute than the average human, and it only took some concentration to decipher them.

Each smell was so unique that Beastboy could only think to describe them as if they were textures, feelings, or colors. The surface on which he sat was much like it's build, a flat dull gray smell of cement, the ocean was fresh and cleansing and just a bit salty, and the wind was crisp, it smelt the way rain felt and tasted like freedom. Then there was the faintest scent of…lavender? Yes, lavender. It smelt soft, tasted sweet, and felt like sunshine on a cool day. It was a subtle yet welcoming scent, that brought with it not just textures and feeling, but memories- A healing touch, an annoyed glance, a supportive hand on his shoulder, a grateful hug, an understanding voice, a shy smile- and more recently; an affectionate eye roll, a gentle touch, late night walks in the park with entwined hands, and soft kisses.

"Hey, Raven.".

The sound of her nearly silent steps came to a brief halt behind him, and his lips quirked up into a gentle grin.

"Am I interrupting anything?" she asked.

Beastboy looked back at her incredulously, as if the question was ridiculous.

"No way, Rae," he said, smiling as he noticed the subtle way her shoulders lowered in relief, despite her seemingly calm demeanor.

"Plenty of roof top to go around," he informed her, gesturing to the spot beside him, "Ya know, if ya wanna…" he shrugged, but the hopefulness in his voice was not missed.

Raven glided over, and he marveled briefly at her gracefulness while she swiftly took the spot beside him.

She turned to him, her gaze searching and almost worried.

"Is something wrong?" She asked.

"Uh…no." Beastboy blinked, looking truly bewildered. "Not that I know of."

"You've been up here awhile." She noted.

"I have?" he asked, clearly surprised. "It's only been ..like.. 20 minutes."

"An hour and a half, actually."

Beastboy's eyes widened. "Whoa, seriously?"

He had only come up there in the first place because he had a headache, one caused by the sounds of his and cyborgs video game playing and smell of Starfires new unique blend of perfumes. The pounding in his head was so intense that he had actually felt sick, and even more disturbing was that for one terrifying moment he was unable to get control of his senses. He had played it off casually though, grinning his best grin and saying that he was going out for some air and would be back soon for a rematch. He had met Raven questioning gaze as she looked up from her book and managed to wink, trying desperately not to wince in pain as he did so.

Being out in the open had a soothing effect on him though, and the migraine had vanished not long after. Since then Beastboy had been enjoying the world around him, practicing on using all his enhanced senses. He had no idea he had lost track of time.

He was surprised that Cyborg himself hadn't caught on to anything and attempted to come check on him. Ever since they had made that deal, Beastboy always felt as if his robotic friend was purposely keeping a closer eye on him- but he had gone several months now without incident and it seemed as if Cyborg had finally let his guard down some. Beastboy had been careful though- During battles he always chose the least primitive animals to change into, and he tried his best to refrain from morphing in his everyday life around the tower. If anyone noticed this beside Cyborg, no one commented. Robin and Starfire were too preoccupied with each other to notice such a relatively small change about himself. Raven also, hadn't seemed suspicious, but he was different when she was around- more relaxed…more himself…and without even trying.

He blinked, coming back to the here-and-now, and processing what Raven had just told him.

"Wait a minute," he said, sounding serious for a moment. "Have you been keeping track of me, Rae?" He quirked an eyebrow, smiling slyly as she rolled her eyes, the slight blush on her cheeks betraying her. "Counting the minutes, huh?"

"No, but Cyborg has." she replied, quickly noticing his now confused frown. "He's convinced that you're just too much of a coward to play against him again."

"Oh right. Duh." he rolled his eyes, remembering again the rematch he had promised his friend. "Totally forgot about that."

"You were distracted." she stated. "I sensed it when you left earlier, but assumed from you're behavior that it was of little concern."

Beastboy let out an exasperated sigh. "Do you know how unfair it is that you're an empath."

"As if I even needed to be." She replied. "You're such an open book sometimes."

Almost without thinking he frowned, "Yeah.. sometimes."

Before Raven could question him on his quite, almost subdued reply, he smiled at her again, half in amusement and half in disbelief as if just coming to a sudden realization.

"Did you just start a sentence with the words 'As if'?"

Ravens nose briefly wrinkled in distaste- too much mall time with starfire, overhearing teen gossip. She sighed with a slight shake of her head, not wanting to get off track.

"And now you're trying to distract me from the conversation at hand." She pointed out, and in a kinder tone asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. At least not anymore." he replied. "It was only a headache, and I guess I lost track of time up here."

"What were you doing?" she asked, not suspicious but curious.

Beastboy shrugged. "Listening and stuff mostly."

"And that helped your headache?" She was a bit skeptical.

"Yeah, it was kinda relaxing." He grinned again,"But don't worry, Rae, sitting still and doing nothing for extended lengths of time is still your thing."

"Thanks" she muttered in a dry sarcastic voice. "Nice to know I'm not out of a hobby."

Beastboy chuckled as he looked out at the setting sun, but Raven sighed, shivering as the wind picked up.

"Aren't you cold up here?" she asked.

"Nah," he replied lazily, still facing the horizon.

Frowning slightly to herself, Raven reach her hand over to cup the side of his face. Instantly he turned to look at her, confused slightly by the serious look on her face- as if she were concentrating on something.

"You're skins like ice," she murmured, brow knitted in concern.

Beastboy grinned, bringing his own gloved hand to lay over her own.

"You're just warm." he replied, watching her eyes come back to truly focus on his face.

She frowned pensively. "We both know that's not true."

"No, really." he insisted, gently pulling her hand down from his face and bringing his other gloved hand up to her forehead.

He let out an exaggerated gasp.

"You're buring up, Rae." He frowned in mock concern as he seized one of her hands between his two. "Don't worry, Darling, I swear not to leave your side until you're well again."

This overdramatic display earned him a clearly unamused glare.

"Beastboy-"

"Ssshhh," he put a finger to her lips, ignoring her murderous stare. "Don't speak. Just save your strength."

Raven grabbed his wrist, pushing his hand away from her as she abruptly stood up.

"Never mind," she replied icily, turning to leave.

Beastboy wondered what he'd done wrong-she was usually much more tolerant of his antics (even amused by them at times now), yet she seem genuinely upset with him.

"Uh-Raven wait!" he quickly stood up, gently grabbing her wrist to stop her. "I was only joking."

She looked back at him, still clearly upset.

"I don't appreciate you turning my concern for you into some kind of joke, Beastboy," She replied evenly. "Behaving strangely and then avoiding my questions- Do you really feel as if you need to put on a show for me?"

Beastboy frowned, speaking softly. "No."

"Then what's wrong?"

"It's not that something's wrong," beastboy began, looking somewhat desperate. "I guess I just don't know how to act sometimes." He shrugged helplessly and Raven expression softened.

"I guess 'old habits die hard' is a pretty lame excuse," he admitted with a brief smile, before looking serious again. "But I really am trying, Rae. I'm sorry."

His explanation accompanied by his quick apology made Raven feel slightly guilty. She had taken his reaction to her concerns too personal- feeling as if he was simply dismissing her. Their relationship was still new, and clearly she wasn't the only one who was still making adjustments. She should have known better. She did know better.

"Garfield."

Beastboy's heart skipped a beat, never had his name sounded as good as when it came from her lips.

"I'm not angry with you." She stated. "I just..don't want their to be barriers between us."

Beastboy blinked, both confused and surprised, and Raven sighed.

"I know that must sound odd, coming from me." she admitted. "My whole life has been about barriers; about keeping everyone at a distance, especially myself and my own emotions."

She met his emerald gaze with a set of violet.

"But I don't want to live that way anymore- not if I don't have to. I want a chance to be close to the people I care about." She caught his hand in hers, gently. "I want a chance to be close to you."

Beastboy had the sudden intense urge to tell her that he loved her, but he forced himself to swallow- he had never said it before, neither had she, they hadn't been together that long- although at times it felt that way. Was it right to feel so strongly about someone so soon…or had these feelings been building for a long time now?

"Raven." His voice seemed to catch some, and he took a breathe before speaking again.

"Raven, there's nothing I want more than to be close to you."

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, but his eyes were cast down.

"Then tell me what's really bothering you?" She pleaded softly. "If you really mean what you're saying- then why do I feel like you're pushing me away?"

"I...I don't mean to." He replied, finally looking up at her. "You gotta believe me, Rae- I don't want to push you away."

"I know you don't mean to." She answered, her eyes sad. "But I can't keep pretending that everything's okay when.."

"When what?"

"When I know your feeling so conflicted." She answered, gently pulling her hand away. " You shouldn't feel like you have to hold anything back from me- I'm in this for the good, and for the bad. I don't do anything halfway, Beastboy- our relationship included. If you don't feel the same, then you should at least let me know now."

There was hurt in her voice, and Beastboy hated the thought that he had put it there.

"I do. I do feel the same- you have to know that, right?" he asked, tears stinging his eyes because this sounded suspiciously like she was breaking up with him. "You can feel it, right? You know how much I...."

He swallowed when she looked away, rubbing at her arms.

"I know." she whispered. "I feel it too."

That was probably as close as either one had come to saying 'I love You', but still Raven turned away from him.

"You know where to find me." She stated, before making her way slowly toward the door.

"Raven?" He swallowed, still frozen to his spot. "We..we're still okay, right? I mean..." His voice suddenly sounded very small even to his own ears. "You're not breaking up with me...right?"

She had stopped at the door, hand already on the knob.

"No..we're not breaking up." she replied softly, but surely.

Beastboy felt his heart start beating again.

"But we're not okay either." she continued, causing him to freeze.

And he stood there as she left, listening intently to her retreating footsteps...concentraing so he could hear everything from her beating heart, to her forced calm breathing, to the sound of her door opening and then closing behind her.

'I'm such an idiot.'

The wind picked up, the faint wisps of Lavender still lingering in the air, and for the first time he felt truly cold.

'I'll tell her.' he decided at once. 'Tomorrow, I'll tell her everything.'


End file.
